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Alberta creating additional 1,600 child-care spaces under deal with Ottawa

Alberta parents will soon have access to more subsidized licensed private child-care spaces.
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Mickey Amery shakes hands with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in Edmonton, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. Alberta parents will soon have access to more subsidized licensed private child-care spaces as part of an agreement with the federal government. Amery says 1,600 private spaces will be eligible for funding almost immediately, with up to 2,000 more as soon as licensing requirements are completed. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Alberta parents will soon have access to more subsidized licensed private child-care spaces.

The province signed on to the federal Liberal’s $10-a-day child-care program in November 2021 and now the two governments have agreed to a key component in the next phase of their funding agreement.

Alberta Children’s Services Minister Mickey Amery says 1,600 private spaces will be eligible for funding almost immediately, with up to 2,000 more as soon as licensing requirements are completed.

He says an additional 22,500 spaces may become eligible for funding support over the next three years.

Municipal Affairs Minister Rebecca Schulz says the extra spaces will free up time for parents who want to further their education or return to work.

Alberta is receiving $3.8 billion in federal funding over five years with the goal of reducing daycare fees to $10 a day by 2026.