Child care and early learning

EDMONTON—Statistics released yesterday in a new national study on early childhood education in Canada by the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, show that Alberta still provides the lowest support to childcare of all the provinces.The report shows that Alberta spent $195/child under 12 years of age (national average = $663/child), and only provides $1429 per licensed childcare space (national average = $3560).

EDMONTON—Public Interest Alberta (PIA) has released documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request into negotiations between a new Texas based company and the government to build 14,000 childcare spaces.

EDMONTON—Public Interest Alberta (PIA) released the findings of their freedom of information request into the $25.9 million dollars the federal government gave Alberta in the summer of 2007 to create more childcare spaces.

EDMONTON—Public Interest Alberta (PIA) has just received a letter from the Information and Privacy Office stating that the government agency will not meet the thirty-day required timeline on PIA’s FOIPP request into the $25.9 million the federal government sent Alberta last summer to create more childcare spaces.

EDMONTON—“While Premier Stelmach is saying he has completed his goals to provide quality childcare for Alberta, the reality is that Alberta continues to provide the lowest support for childcare in Canada,” said Bill Moore-Kilgannon, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta.

EDMONTON—“As today is National Child Day, we feel it is critical to ask the provincial government what it intends to do with the additional $25.9 million it received this summer as our share of the federal transfer to provinces to create more childcare spaces” said Bill Moore-Kilgannon, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta.

EDMONTON—Public Interest Alberta congratulates the City of Edmonton for its excellent letter in support of the existing federal-provincial childcare agreements.

EDMONTON—Childcare advocates called on the Minister of Children’s Services, Heather Forsyth, and the new Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Diane Finley to resolve the issue of the impending cuts to the childcare agreement with Alberta when they meet in Ottawa this afternoon.

EDMONTON—"The Minister of Children’s Services, Heather Forsyth, needs to stand up and defend Alberta’s five-point childcare agreement that she signed with the federal government" says Bill Moore-Kilgannon, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta.