Parents, Experts, and Childcare Operators Unite to Tackle Canada’s Childcare Accessibility Crisis
Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs is a not-for-profit comprised of childcare operators from across the province. Its goal is to advocate for choice in childcare that supports both families and operators.
Online forum addressed mounting childcare accessibility crisis across Canada under $10-a-day Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program.
The forum highlighted the growing difficulty families are facing in accessing affordable, high-quality childcare, as well as the restrictive limitations created by federal policies under the CWELCC agreement. Despite the promise of $10-a-day childcare, parents will be stuck on waitlists for years, given that only 33% of eligible Canadian children are currently able to secure a discounted childcare spot, with private operators prevented from expanding to help meet this demand. In his presentation, childcare operator and AACE Vice Chair Ray Lewchuk outlined that the true cost of childcare far surpasses the current government investment into CWELCC, noting that childcare quality and staff retention are inevitably suffering as a result of the gross underfunding.
Krystal Churcher, a private childcare operator,and Chair of both AACE and the National Committee on Childcare Reform, emphasized the need for urgent reforms to ensure families retain the ability to choose the childcare that best suits their needs. “While the CWELCC program was created to make childcare more affordable, the elimination of the free market has unintentionally reduced access and the quality control that comes from competition. Today, we call on the government to reconsider its ideological approach and prioritize a balanced, inclusive childcare system that protects parental choice and truly supports all families.”
Keynote speakers parent advocate Jeff Park, Executive Director of the Alberta Parents’ Union, and Senior Fellow with Cardus, Andrea Mrozek, highlighted the importance of true parent choice rather than one-size-fits-all childcare. Both also recommended that funding follows the child to significantly improve upon the current childcare access crisis. Additionally, testimony from educator and activist Dr. Laura Mae Lindo touched upon concerns with CWELCC’s hasty implementation without thorough input from operators, and queried the divisiveness it has created based upon childcare business models.
Join the Fight for Childcare Reform
The National Committee on Childcare Reform is leading a Canada-wide campaign to raise awareness and advocate for a more fair and accessible childcare system. Parents, operators, and concerned citizens are invited to join the movement by signing its petition to urge the federal government to respect provincial jurisdiction and allow each province and territory to design a system that meets the unique needs of its families.
Collectively, our voice is stronger than it is individually. It is critical that families who cannot access childcare make their voices heard to share that the Government of Canada’s approach to affordable childcare has failed.
You can sign the petition and learn more about this campaign at https://aacenational.ca.
About AACE
The Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs (AACE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for Alberta's childcare operators and ensuring the sustainability of a high-quality, mixed-market childcare system. AACE represents both for-profit and non-profit childcare providers, emphasizing parental choice and accessibility for all families.
Krystal Churcher, Chair
Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs (AACE)
+1 780-838-3103
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