Trudeau, Kenney ink child-care deal for Alberta
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney have signed a deal to make child-care services in the province more affordable.
This makes Alberta the eighth province to formalize an agreement with the federal government that would see billions of dollars go towards establishing $10-per-day early learning and child care by 2026.
Now, New Brunswick, Ontario, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut remain the only provinces and territories yet to sign the dotted line.
Ottawa unveiled their ambitious $30 billion child-care plan in their spring budget.
Speaking in Edmonton on Monday, Trudeau said the pandemic has put into focus the need for accessible child care.
鈥淚 think one the things that really came through on this past year and a half is that making sure we have proper support for families, proper support for young kids that will allow parents to get back to work, is unbelievably important,鈥 said Trudeau, speaking to reporters.
鈥淐hild care is not just a social program, it鈥檚 about growing the economy as well.鈥
According to 2020 data from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Toronto, On. reported the highest median toddler fees last year at $1,578 a month, followed by Richmond Hill, On., at $1,327 and Richmond, B.C. at $1,300.
Calgary ranks the highest among Albertan cities, at $1,250 per month.
Trudeau said the agreement shows that two governments, with differing perspectives on a range of issues, can find common ground.
鈥淭he provinces and the federal government don鈥檛 always get along on everything and there are always going to be points of disagreement but I鈥檓 really, really pleased to be here today with Premier Kenney and the Government of Alberta to demonstrate that on the things that matter most to citizens 鈥e can get big things done,鈥 he said.
Kenney said the deal, negotiated by his Minister of Children鈥檚 Services Rebecca Schulz, meets the unique needs of Albertan parents.
鈥淭his means that all types of licensed child care for kids up to kindergarten like preschools, daycare, and licensed family day homes will now be supported through this deal with the federal government,鈥 said Kenney.
More than half of child-care spaces in Alberta are in private settings.
The money will go towards creating operating grants, raising subsidy programs to help low-income families, and increasing infant care spaces.
Kenney was asked why the province didn鈥檛 get the same flexibility in their deal as Quebec did with its. The federal government is working with the province separately to enhance their already low-cost child-care framework.
鈥淲e certainly wanted the same flexibility as Quebec. Of course, Quebec has had their own program for many years but they got, I understand, complete flexibility in their agreement, which we would have preferred,鈥 he said.
鈥淏ut at the end of the day, this is the best deal that we could get.鈥
Trudeau responded stating that Quebec鈥檚 arrangement isn鈥檛 a question of flexibility.
鈥淨uebec already has $10 a day child care, indeed it鈥檚 $8.50. So it made no sense for us to impose conditions that they have already surpassed. It鈥檚 not about treating one province differently,鈥 he said.
Karina Gould, minister of families, children and social development spoke to negotiations with Ontario, noting that Ottawa is still waiting for an action plan from the province.
鈥淎s has been the case with every single province and territory across the country, seven months ago, the Government of Canada sent a terms sheet basically explaining what our objectives are with regards to fee reduction, space creation, and workforce development,鈥 she said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still waiting for more details from the province of Ontario.鈥
The Liberal鈥檚 2021 budget stipulates that Ottawa will authorize the transfer of the first batch of funding as soon as bilateral agreements are reached.
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