Text of the news release:
Alberta families have an opportunity to provide direct input into the future direction of Alberta's early childhood development and child care programs through a new online consultation. The province will use the input to develop future policy and programs, and guide possible future investments under the proposed national child care initiative.
"Alberta's negotiations with the federal government on a national child care program have gone well from our perspective, and we're ready to go forward once we have finalized key details relating to an agreement," said Children's Services Minister Heather Forsyth. "To be prepared, we want to hear what's important to families in terms of caring for children, whether parents choose to go to work, go to school or stay at home. We're also interested in knowing what's working well now and what improvements are needed in the future."
Research shows that a child's early experiences have a powerful, lasting effect on their future success. The Alberta government is committed to helping children and families get the best possible start in life by supporting families and communities with comprehensive programs that ensure parents have choice and flexibility in their child care decisions. Currently, Alberta invests in a range of programs and services to meet the needs of families, including: child care subsidies, programs to support family care, accreditation of child care programs, Parent Link Centres, and Family and Community Support Services.