Alberta shut down 21 day homes in two years due to 'imminent threats' to children: provincial data
Child safety advocates are urging the province to take a more proactive approach to protecting children at unregulated day homes in Alberta and want to see province-wide rules in place, similar to regulations enacted recently by the City of Calgary.
As of the start of this year, home-based child care operators in Calgary need to apply for a business license and are required to have first aid and CPR training, along with a police background check, to do so.
"I think we have an opportunity (at a provincial level) and we've seen Calgary take those steps," said Shelby Stewart, the co-founder of the safety advocacy group Mackenzy's Legacy. The group was established in memory of Mackenzy Woolfsmith, a 22-month-old girl who died from injuries she sustained at an unlicensed day home in 2012.
"What we have been told from the province previously is that we're not going to create any more red tape. And when it comes to child safety, I don't think it is red tape — I think it needs to be a priority," Stewart said.
According to provincial data collected since February 2021, obtained by Mackenzy's Legacy through a Freedom of Information request, Alberta day home operators have been issued a total of 91 stop orders, which are written orders to "cease offering or providing child care."
Twenty-one of those issued were due to an 'imminent threat,' described in the province's Early Learning and Child Care Act as a "threat to the health, safety or welfare of the children to whom the person is offering or providing child care." The rest of the orders were due to operators exceeding capacity.
"It makes me feel sick inside," said Stewart. She says the province's current complaint-based system is not the right approach.
"It devastates me to see that amount of stop orders. I think it's excellent that the province put this tool in place but, again, we are reacting when we've deemed that children are in imminent harm," she said.
Shelby Stewart is co-founder of a safety group that was formed in the wake of the death of Mackenzy Woolfsmith, a Calgary toddler who died from injuries she sustained in a day home.
Alberta's children's service minister said Tuesday that the stop orders show that the system is working and the provincial government encourages parental choice when it comes to child care.
"I have been in close contact with the City of Calgary and with Mayor Gondek and I am working together closely with her department and officials to monitor the progress of that initial pilot program," Mickey Amery said when asked if the province will enact province-wide day home rules.
"We're looking at how it works out," the minister added.
Calgary councillors will discuss sending a letter to the province to advocate for Alberta-wide rules for unregulated day homes at a meeting in February.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.