This post is "in the weeds" but bear w/ me as it's impt about the state of early learning & child care in rural/remote AB. Last week, @rebeccakschulz urged me to "stick to the facts" about the closure of a $25/day child care centre in Manning, AB.

Here's the facts.

#ableg

The $25/day child care centre in Manning is the northernmost full-time child care program in the province. The centre will likely close in March when the UCP ends the program because few families in this area will be able to afford the full-cost of child care. #ableg

The Minister seemed unconcerned about its closure because "8 licensed operators closed when they put their centre in that community". The operator of the centre sent an email to the Minister after seeing that stating she had a "gross misunderstanding of the situation." #ableg

This operator ran the family dayhome program in Manning for 24 yrs & said 8 dayhomes were closing because the funding model made them unviable in a rural area like Manning. It was those dayhomes that applied to be the $25/day program & most ended up working at the centre. #ableg

More important than correcting the Minister, is that she seems unconcerned that the closure of the $25/day centre means there will be no licensed child care north of Peace River. Think about that. #ableg

Not only will these educators now be out of work, but families in this huge northern part of the province will not have access to any licensed child care or the early intervention services that require a licensed program to deliver them. #ableg

There were many $25/day programs in rural Alberta & many more were needed. Why? Because every child deserves access to quality early learning, regardless of where they live in the province. There's a real child care crisis happening in rural areas, made worse by COVID & UCP cuts.

I realize the Minister & the UCP are ideologically opposed to universal quality affordable child care. But ending the program doesn't right a wrong. It only hurts those communities that desperately need it. #ableg