Parents can expect child care fees to reduce by half in only a very short time. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Edmonton this morning to provide an announcement on child care in Alberta along with Premier Jason Kenney.

“Within five years, ten dollars a day child care will be a reality across the province. By the end of next year, childcare fees will be cut in half for Albertan families. The province will be creating over 40,000 new spaces in early learning and childcare,” said the Prime Minister.

Minister of Children’s Services, Rebecca Schulz hinted towards the agreement in late July and has been working towards getting an agreement that works for the province for some time.

“This plan also takes the feedback that we heard from Albertans and makes sure that additional dollars are directed to those parents who truly need it the most. We know affordability is only one thing that parents look at and often the first when choosing child care. That is why this plan addresses quality and accessibility, because affordability and flexibility are only helpful if there are enough spaces to meet the needs of parents,” explained Schulz.

Minister of Children's Services, Rebecca Schulz during the announcement.

Additional childcare spaces will be targeting rural areas of the province as well as urban areas.  

$300 million will also be allocated to providing additional training and hiring more early childcare educators.

“We’re going to strengthen and update the wage grid so that early childhood educators get the kind of training, support, wages; they need to contribute in such an important way to not just the present of our society but the future of it as well,” said Trudeau.

Premier Jason Kenney during the announcement.

Premier Jason Kenney was happy to see Alberta’s tax paying dollars return to Albertan families.

“This agreement means bringing a 3.8 billion tax dollars paid by Albertans to Ottawa back to Albertans to address a key priority for so many families. This means that parents in Alberta will see a reduction in their fees of an average of 50% in early 2022 and will pay an average of $10 a day by 2025-2026,” explained Kenney.

For the Prime Minister, the agreement proves that Alberta Provincial Government and Canada’s Federal Government can come together for issues that matter.

“It's yet another example of how governments work together to deliver in real, tangible ways for people,” added Trudeau.