Seven principles that should shape Alberta’s next child care funding model
The Council for Early Learning and Care (CELC) has published seven policy-design principles for building an affordable early learning and child care system in Alberta. It lands as the sector’s answer to the province’s own admission that the current funding structure is not financially sustainable.
The principles reward a full read, but the shape of them is simple. Access means a real spot when a family needs one. Affordability gets judged against real family circumstances rather than averages. Quality gets funded at the actual cost of delivering it. The other four cover stability in how fees change, inclusion without barriers, accountability for measuring what is working, and public funding that is sufficient, stable, and flows directly to programs.
We would encourage every operator, educator, and parent in the province to read the principles before the funding-model conversation heats up this fall. There is a Take Action piece too: share them with your MLA or MP. The more of us pointing at the same standard, the harder it is to design around.
Read the full principles and take action: elccouncil.ca
