EDMONTON — Alberta has become the latest province to sign on to a $10-a-day federal universal child-care program.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney made the joint announcement Monday in Edmonton.
The deal is for $3.8 billion in federal funding over the next five years. Child-care fees are to be halved by next year and reduced to an average of $10 a day by 2026.
Kenney said the Alberta agreement will make the subsidies eligible for all types of licensed child-care facilities up to kindergarten.
Choice of child care had been a sticking point in negotiations between Ottawa and Alberta.
"The province has secured a deal to allow Alberta parents to have the type of child care that works best for them, which has been a key element of any deal this government would sign," said Kenney.
The federal Liberal government announced a $30-billion, five-year plan in the spring to craft partnerships with provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities for universal child care — the cornerstone of an initiative to help families and get the economy moving.
A handful of provinces and territories, including Ontario, remain holdouts.
"This will make a huge difference in the lives of all families but also in our economic recovery," said Trudeau.
"Within five years, $10-a-day child care will be a reality right across the province."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2021.
The Canadian Press
