The Alberta Child Care Accreditation Funding Program, also known as the Alberta Child Care Grant Program, represents a significant investment in the future of Alberta’s children and the early childhood education sector. This initiative, stemming from a landmark agreement between the Alberta and federal governments announced on November 15, 2021, is designed to make quality child care more affordable and accessible for families across the province. The ultimate goal is to reduce average parent fees for children aged 0 to kindergarten to just $10 per day by 2026, fostering an environment where every child has the opportunity to thrive. This program is a cornerstone of building a robust and sustainable early learning and child care system in Alberta.
Understanding the Alberta Child Care Grant Program
At the heart of the Alberta Child Care Accreditation Funding Program is the Child Care Grant. This grant is specifically designed to support licensed child care programs in Alberta, encompassing a range of settings including daycare centers, out-of-school care programs, preschools, and licensed family day home agencies. These programs are the backbone of early childhood education in Alberta, and this funding aims to bolster their capacity to provide high-quality care.
To access the various funding streams available under the Alberta Child Care Grant Program, licensed child care programs offering daycare and preschool services must have a signed Child Care Affordability grant agreement in place. This agreement serves as the gateway to accessing crucial financial support. For licensed programs exclusively providing out-of-school care for kindergarten and school-age children, a modified agreement is available, focusing on wage top-ups and professional development funding.
For a comprehensive understanding of eligibility criteria and the detailed application process, the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Guide is an invaluable resource. This guide provides in-depth information on how to apply for wage top-up funding, professional development grants, release time funding, and mandatory employer contribution funding, ensuring programs have all the necessary information at their fingertips.
Types of Funding Available Under the Alberta Child Care Accreditation Funding Program
The Alberta Child Care Accreditation Funding Program is structured to provide targeted financial assistance across key areas critical to the success of child care programs and the well-being of early childhood educators. The program offers four distinct types of funding:
Wage Top-Up Funding
Recognizing the vital role of early childhood educators, the wage top-up funding component is designed to enhance the compensation of certified professionals working directly with children. This funding provides licensed child care programs with additional funds to supplement the base wages of their certified educators. It’s important to note that staff must be paid at least the minimum wage by their employer before the wage top-up is applied.
Eligibility for Wage Top-Up Funding
Wage top-up funding is specifically available for certified frontline staff who:
- Are directly involved in providing child care. This includes program supervisors and alternate supervisors as defined by the Early Learning and Child Care Regulation, as well as family child care consultants or coordinators within licensed family day home agencies.
- Hold certification as an early childhood educator at Level 1, 2, or 3. Certification levels reflect the educator’s qualifications and experience, with higher levels indicating more advanced training and expertise.
- Meet the specific conditions regarding eligible hours for wage top-up, as detailed in the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Guide. This ensures funding is appropriately allocated based on hours worked in eligible roles.
Wage Top-Up Funding Rates
The wage top-up funding is disbursed monthly, up to a maximum of 181 hours per month, at rates that vary based on the early childhood educator’s certification level. These rates are designed to meaningfully increase the take-home pay of educators.
Table 1. Wage Top-up Rates
| Early childhood educator certification level | Government Wage Top-up Rates |
|---|---|
| Level 1 early childhood educator | $2.64 / hour |
| Level 2 early childhood educator | $5.05 / hour |
| Level 3 early childhood educator | $8.62 / hour |
These government wage top-up rates, when combined with employer-paid wages, result in a significant improvement in the overall earnings for early childhood educators in Alberta.
Table 2. Average Employer Paid Wages Before and After Government Wage Top-up Funding
| Early childhood educator certification level | Average employer-paid wage (as of September 2024) | Average wage with wage top-up as of September 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 early childhood educator | $17.23 | $19.97 |
| Level 2 early childhood educator | $18.30 | $23.35 |
| Level 3 early childhood educator | $20.39 | $29.01 |
These tables clearly illustrate the positive impact of the wage top-up, making a career in early childhood education more financially sustainable and attractive.
Professional Development Funding
The Alberta Child Care Accreditation Funding Program also recognizes the importance of continuous learning and professional growth for early childhood educators. The professional development funding stream is available to licensed child care programs to help cover the costs associated with approved post-secondary tuition, textbooks, and attendance at relevant conferences or workshops for their certified Level 1, 2, or 3 early childhood educators.
To access professional development funding, programs are required to submit a Professional Development Funding Request form. This form initiates the process of applying for funds to support educator development.
Beyond this specific funding, it’s worth noting that other professional development opportunities are available through ministry-funded organizations, offering a wide array of resources for educators seeking to enhance their skills and knowledge.
Eligibility for Professional Development Funding
Professional development funding is targeted at certified early childhood educators who are employed by licensed child care programs or family day home program educators working with licensed agencies. Eligible educators must:
- Be directly involved in providing child care, including program supervisors, alternate supervisors, and family child care consultants/coordinators in licensed family day home agencies.
- Hold certification as an early childhood educator at Level 1, 2, or 3.
- Be a Canadian citizen or an official Permanent Resident of Canada.
- Have worked a minimum of 29 hours in at least one month preceding the expenditure or application date, demonstrating a commitment to the field.
Professional Development Funding Rates
The professional development funding rates are designed to provide meaningful financial support for educators pursuing further learning.
Table 3. Professional development funding rates (effective September 1, 2021)
| Professional development type | Funding rate per early childhood educator |
|---|---|
| Post secondary courses | Up to $1,500 per year |
| Workshops and conferences | Up to $500 per year |
These rates enable educators to pursue valuable learning opportunities that enhance their skills and contribute to the quality of child care programs.
Release Time Funding
Complementary to professional development funding, release time funding supports early childhood educators in dedicating time to their professional growth. Available to educators eligible for professional development funding, this stream allows them to be paid while engaging in study, completing post-secondary coursework, or attending approved workshops. Importantly, educators are eligible for release time funding upon completion of training, regardless of when the training occurs, even outside of regular working hours. It is important to note that release time funding is considered a taxable benefit.
Eligibility for Release Time Funding
To be eligible for release time funding, early childhood educators must:
- Meet the eligibility criteria for professional development funding.
- Have either paid for or enrolled in a post-secondary course, workshop, or conference that has been pre-approved for professional development funding. This ensures the training aligns with professional development goals.
To access release time funding, the child care program needs to submit the Professional Development Funding Request form, streamlining the application process.
Release Time Funding Rates
Release time funding provides payments both to the early childhood educator and to the program to offset wage-related expenses during the educator’s training.
Table 4. Rate of payment to program per Early Childhood Educator.
| Professional development type | Payment to early childhood educator | Payment to program to offset wage related expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Post secondary courses | Up to $1,600 per fiscal year (based on $800 per 3-credit course to a maximum of 2 courses) | $60 per course |
| Workshops and conferences | Up to $787.50 per year (based on $17.50 per hour to a maximum of 45 hours) | $1.33 per hour (up to 45 hours) |
This funding structure ensures that both educators and programs are supported in the pursuit of professional development.
Mandatory Employer Contribution Funding
To further support child care programs receiving wage top-up funding, the Alberta Child Care Accreditation Funding Program provides mandatory employer contribution funding. This funding is designed to assist programs with the mandatory payroll contributions and premium payments associated with wage top-up payments.
The mandatory employer contribution funding is calculated at a rate of 9.51% of the wage top-up funding received by the program. This percentage is designed to approximate the program’s expenses related to Canadian Pension Plan (CPP), Employment Insurance (EI), and Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) payroll expenditures directly linked to the wage top-ups.
Eligibility for Mandatory Employer Contribution Funding
Eligibility for mandatory employer contribution funding is directly tied to receiving wage top-up funding. A program is eligible to receive this contribution funding for each early childhood educator staff member for whom they receive wage top-up funding, provided that the program is also making CPP contributions and paying EI and WCB premiums for that educator. This ensures that the funding is used as intended to cover mandatory employer costs.
How to Apply for Alberta Child Care Accreditation Funding
Applying for funding under the Alberta Child Care Accreditation Funding Program is a straightforward process designed to be accessible to eligible child care programs. The central hub for application and management of funding is the Child Care Licensing Portal.
Eligible child care programs interested in accessing wage top-up, professional development, release time, and mandatory employer contribution funding must initiate the process by signing a grant agreement online through the Child Care Licensing Portal.
Step 1. Review the Program Guide
Before beginning the application process, it is crucial to thoroughly review the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Guide. This guide provides detailed information on eligibility requirements, the application process itself, and all necessary documentation and requirements. Reading this guide is an essential first step to ensure a smooth and successful application.
Step 2. Log into the Child Care Licensing Portal Account to Request, Review, and Sign the Grant Agreement.
The application process is managed through the Child Care Licensing portal. An individual with official signing authority for the child care program must have an account in this portal to access, review, and electronically sign the grant agreement.
For guidance on creating a new account or logging into an existing one, the Child Care Licensing Portal – Operator Login Guide is available. This guide provides step-by-step instructions to navigate the login process.
Similarly, for specific instructions on accessing and signing the grant agreement for wage top-up and professional development funding, the Child Care Licensing Portal– Signing Wage Top-up & PD Grant Agreements tip sheet offers clear directions.
After You Apply
Once the grant agreement has been signed and submitted, child care programs can begin to access funding. The payment process is designed to be regular and predictable.
Grant Funding Payments
After the grant agreement is in place, programs are required to submit an online claim each month to receive wage top-up and mandatory employer contribution funding payments. The online child care claims system is the platform for managing these claims.
Wage top-up and mandatory employer contributions funding are paid based on the monthly hours claimed by the program for eligible educators. Accurate and timely claim submission is key to receiving these funds.
Professional development and release time funding payments are processed differently. These funds are disbursed based on approved Professional Development Funding Requests and are typically included as part of the overall child care program deposit when the next monthly claim is processed. This integrated approach streamlines the payment of all funding types.
For further details and guidance on managing claims and payments, the online child care claims system resources are readily available.
Contact Information
For any questions or assistance regarding the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Program, the program has a dedicated contact team.
Connect with the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Program:
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-422-1119
Toll free: 1-800-661-9754
Email: [email protected]
(Please note that walk-in service is not available).
The Alberta Child Care Accreditation Funding Program is a vital initiative that strengthens the early learning and child care sector in Alberta. By providing substantial financial support to programs and educators, it contributes to creating a high-quality, affordable, and accessible child care system for Alberta families, ultimately benefiting children and communities across the province.
