'Early Christmas gift': Parents, child care groups relieved by Alberta, Ottawa child care deal

CALGARY -

It's some long-awaited and much-needed news for families and parents in Alberta. A deal between the federal government and province will see $10-a-day child care in five years and some savings even sooner.

"I'm so excited. It's almost like an early, early Christmas gift," said Susan Cake, an Alberta parent and the chair of Child Care Now Alberta.

That gift was delivered Monday morning with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney making the announcement together in Edmonton.

With a deal reached, Alberta has pledged to reach $10-a-day child care by 2025-26 and fees will be reduced by 50 per cent for early learning starting next year.

More than 42,000 spaces will be added across the province over the next five years and Ottawa will contribute about $3.8 billion over that time to fund the program.

"This is good news for parents and families, especially as Alberta's economy continues to recover," Kenney said Monday.

"This deal not only helps help many Alberta parents get back to work, it creates opportunities for passionate entrepreneurs to start a business."

"I'm so excited. It's almost like an early, early Christmas gift," said Susan Cake, an Alberta parent and the chair of Child Care Now Alberta.

(Susan Cake, an Alberta parent and the chair of Child Care Now Alberta.)

Alberta was one of the last provinces to sign onto the federal government's affordable child care plan.

"This is big news for families and it's a yet another example of how governments work together to deliver in real tangible ways for people," Trudeau said.

The average cost of child care in Calgary and Edmonton is about $1,200 per month for a child, but the province says this deal will bring average costs down to about $285/month.

"Obviously communities benefit from that. Local businesses benefit from it, the economy -- It really echoes throughout so many different fields that it's going to benefit... it's basically a giant win for everyone in Alberta," Cake said.

Those high costs have been detrimental to families, especially women who want to work, but can't afford to because it doesn't make sense financially, advocates say.

Unaffordable child care has been a barrier for years, explains Calgary mother Roshni McCartney.

"How am I going to afford to keep a roof over our heads and payl for child care and go to work? So the fact that we now could potentially have access to that, other parents will have access to that, is amazing," McCartney said.

Details of the deal are still being finalized, but the province says $10-a-day child care will eventually be available to Alberta families who make less than $120,000 annually. Parents with high annual income will pay between $11 to $22.19 per day in five years.