In a press release last week, the Government of Alberta announced that 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. 

According to the province, over 2,300 childcare providers will receive these advance payments to assist them in providing essential childcare services that Albertan families rely on. 

This response has come following the Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs (AACE) announcing back in January that they were closing child-care centers across the province due to the government's implementation of the $10/day childcare program. 

“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 about the timing of their payments,” it states in the media release. 

As a response, the Alberta government has fast-tracked $84 million in advance payments. 

“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.” 

The changes to monthly claims started on March 1 and will help the government achieve its commitment to introducing a new payment approach and ensure that child-care providers receive grant payments sooner. 

By providing most funding up front to child-care providers, the government is helping reduce financial pressures as they transform the childcare system. 

“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,” said Sonia Grams, assistant director with Child Development Dayhomes. 

The advance payments will apply to child-care facilities, family day homes, pre-schools, and out-of-school care providers. 

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