About the Child Care and Early Learning Task Force
Childcare and early childhood education were some of the first public interest issues addressed by Public Interest Alberta. In the spring of 2005, Public Interest Alberta and its members mounted a successful advocacy effort to get the provincial government to sign on to a National Childcare deal with the federal government. Although the Harper government went on to dismantle those agreements, PIA used its large network to pressure the Alberta Minister of Children's Services to publicly defend national childcare, and the Task Force's work continues.
Every year, the Childcare Task Force develops advocacy strategies to address the most pressing issues affecting Alberta's families. Past areas of attention include:
- Corporate Childcare - Preventing a takeover by "big box" childcare in Alberta
- Quality & Access - Quality, affordable care for all Alberta's families
- Childcare and the Alberta Budget
Childcare Task Force Members
- Donna Staszenski, Task Force Chair
- Gloria Chalmers, Edmonton Early Years Coalitions
- James Hart, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees
- Ryan MacIntyre, We Did It School Age Care Society
- Line Perron, Early Childhood Development Support Services
- Carol Sullivan, Terra Association
- Kristy Thomas, McKernan Child Development Centre
- Korrie-Mae Wiszniak, Churchill Park Family Care Society
- Leah Tolman, City West Childcare and Community Support Society
- Nicki Dublenko, Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta