More than 2,300 child-care providers will receive advance payments to help them continue to provide the services Alberta families rely on.

Alberta child-care providers are a critical part of ensuring the province has a strong economy. Child-care providers have asked the government for changes to help address concerns on the timing of their payments. In response, Alberta’s government is fast-tracking $84 million in advance payments.

“Alberta families rely on high-quality child care so they can go to work or school knowing their children are safe and thriving. By providing funding up front, child-care providers will be able to continue focusing on what they do best: providing high-quality child care that meets the diverse needs of Alberta families.”

Matt Jones, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade

Starting March 1, child-care providers will receive about 80 per cent of their monthly claim at the beginning of each month, in addition to the fees they collect from parents. This change to monthly claim advances will help achieve the government’s commitment to introducing a new payment approach, ensuring child-care providers receive grant payments sooner.

In addition, by providing the majority of funding up front, Alberta’s government is helping to reduce financial pressures on child-care providers as the government continues to move forward in the transformation of the child-care system.

“By expediting the provision of monthly funding, Alberta is responding to providers concerns so they can focus on delivering high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive child care to families in Alberta. I want to recognize Alberta’s efforts to support child-care providers and look forward to continued collaboration to build a stronger and more resilient Canada-wide early learning and child-care system.”

Jenna Sudds, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

“The new claim advance is a welcome change to how child-care providers are paid. Being paid in the first few days of the current month eliminates the stress of paying our fixed expenses before we are paid for our services.”

Sonia Grams, assistant director, Child Development Dayhomes

Alberta’s government will continue to engage with child-care providers, parents and its federal counterparts on early learning and child care as the transformation of the province’s child-care system moves forward. This includes introducing a new funding formula and achieving an average parent fee of $10 per day by 2026.