ACE backs CFIB push to fix Alberta preschool funding

The Association of Canadian Early Learning Programs is urging Alberta to change its Child Care Affordability Grant before the school year begins, warning that licensed preschools are losing families and facing closures under the current model. The group says equitable funding would preserve parent choice and keep community-based early learning options alive.

Why it matters: - Alberta's current childcare funding model is putting licensed preschools at a disadvantage against licensed daycares offering similar part-time care. - ACE says the imbalance is reducing family choice and could permanently close community-based preschool programs. - The group says a fix before September could help preserve affordability and competition in the early learning sector.

What happened: - The Association of Canadian Early Learning Programs said Tuesday it welcomes CFIB's call for Alberta to address the unintended effects of the Child Care Affordability Grant. - ACE is asking the Government of Alberta to implement equitable, prorated grant funding for licensed preschools that offer comparable part-time programming. - The organization says the issue affects many Alberta families choosing between preschool and daycare.

The details: - CFIB says parents should be able to choose preschool without government funding steering them toward one option. - CFIB's Alberta policy team says preschools are funded at less than half the hourly rate of daycares for the same part-time care. - ACE's Alberta Preschool Sustainability Survey found 74% of participating operators reported declining enrolment. - The same survey found 81% of operators said families are choosing daycare because of lower fees. - Nearly half of respondents said their preschool is no longer financially sustainable. - Nearly half said they expect to close if the funding model does not change. - ACE says 98% of surveyed preschool operators believe the funding model has tilted the playing field against them. - The group says many affected preschools were built by local entrepreneurs, educators, churches and community organizations over decades. - ACE says once a licensed preschool closes, it rarely reopens. - ACE says the current system risks pushing parents toward funding-driven choices instead of the program that best fits their child. - ACE included contact information for chair Krystal Churcher and social media links to its Facebook page and its X account.

Between the lines: - The dispute is not just about price. It is about whether Alberta's childcare supports should treat part-time preschool care and daycare care the same way. - CFIB and ACE are framing the policy as a fairness issue for small businesses as well as a choice issue for parents. - The timing matters because most preschools are preparing to reopen for September, and closures before then could be hard to reverse.

What's next: - ACE wants Alberta to move quickly on prorated grant funding before the school year begins. - The group says action now could help prevent more preschool shutdowns and protect the range of licensed childcare options available to families. - If the province does not change the model, ACE warns more preschools may close and may not return.