The government of Alberta says it’s taking steps to strengthen legislation governing the province’s child care sector.
Alberta Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones says the legislative amendments, tabled in the legislature Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 30, 2024) will increase accountability and transparency, address workforce challenges and enhance health, safety and quality in child care.
While the changes to the Early Learning and Child Care Act are being described as a “good first step,” the parents Global News spoke with said they don’t go far enough.
Among the changes:
- allow for public posting of all stop orders for unlicensed providers.
- allowing the government to issue a probationary licence;
- requiring them to comply with all applicable zoning, health and safety legislation;
- allowing certified 16 and 17-year-olds to work under adult supervision;
- allow for public posting of all stop orders for unlicensed providers.
Jen Wolfsmith, whose 21-month-old daughter, Mckenzy, died in May 2012, while in the care of a private day-home operator in Calgary, welcomed the changes announced Wednesday, but said they don’t go far enough.
She said the government needs to focus more on unlicensed daycares. “We have to start thinking about the unlicensed space like we do with the licensed space, because the reality is the majority of our kids are in unlicensed care.”
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Wolfsmith said the fatality inquiry into her daughter’s death recommended a string of other changes to the Early Learning and Child Care Act that the government has yet to act upon.
She said she’d welcome the chance to meet with the minister to discuss what additional changes are needed.
The changes to the act were initiated following a number of recent concerns about the safety of daycares.
In August, three Calgary daycares were ordered to immediately shut down over concerns for child safety and in October an Edmonton daycare was ordered to cease operations.
In Sept. 2023 an E.coli outbreak in Calgary affecting 17 licensed childcare facilities, led to 448 infections and resulted in 38 children and 1 adult being hospitalized for severe illness.
The likely source was identified as a meal of meatloaf served from Fueling Minds’ central kitchen in late August 2023.
It was later determined the Fueling Minds kitchen was operating without the proper licence.
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