“That’s why we are going to make sure child care subsidy applications were assessed appropriately following the transition to increased rates and the introduction of the out-of-school-care subsidy over the past year.”

The Minister has directed staff to immediately:

• Address any inconsistencies between hard copy and online application forms to ensure staff are determining eligibility fairly and equitably.
• Verify that child care applications received in the last year were assessed correctly, regardless of whether the hardcopy or online form was used to apply.
• Rectify discrepancies and notify families if it is found that any application was not assessed properly.

“Ensuring that low-and middle-income families in our province have access to affordable child care is one of the main goals of the provincial child care space creation plan introduced last May,” said Tarchuk. “Our ministry remains committed to continuing to support families who need access to affordable and quality child care in Alberta.”