Childcare deal for Alberta imperative to economic recovery, rapid implementation critical

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce’s President and CEO, Deborah Yedlin, issued the following statement on a childcare deal for Alberta:

Calgary, November 15, 2021 – “Today’s childcare agreement is a welcome accomplishment and encouraging sign of collaboration between our federal and provincial governments. It puts Alberta on a more level playing field with other provinces, and, in the current context of the global competition for talent, this agreement makes Alberta more attractive as a place to build a career and have a family. A prosperous economy is predicated on increasing the labour force participation rate of Canadian women - which is currently at a its lowest level in 30 years. An affordable child care system from coast to coast eliminates a significant barrier for women being part of the workforce and is an important investment in our collective economic future.

“We are encouraged by an updated wage grid increasing the competitiveness of salaries, which better reflects the value of early childhood educators to our economy. We would also like to see an action plan that supports further investment in skill development and credentialling for educators, with a focus on delivering a high-quality curriculum and childcare options for parents that work non-standard hours. Economists estimate that every dollar invested in early childhood education provides a return on investment of between seven and 10 per cent in terms of economic impact.

“Creating more affordable, accessible quality childcare spaces for Alberta families will go hand-in-hand with our economic recovery, which is why we have no time to lose to put the investment to work for Alberta families and businesses. Creating more affordable childcare spaces will be a driving force for employment and economic growth and will help ease the pressure of existing labour shortages facing many businesses.

“Broad issues like childcare require governments working together toward a common goal. When governments can agree on critical issues, we can seize the tremendous economic potential of our economy. As we move ahead to address other big issues - like climate change - collaboration between all levels of government and with industry will be essential to ensuring our province is fully equipped to contribute to our collective success. Today’s childcare announcement is evidence this type of collaboration is possible.”

About the Calgary Chamber

The Calgary Chamber is an independent non-profit, non-partisan business organization. For 130 years, the Chamber has worked to build a business community that nourishes, powers and inspires the world.

For media inquiries, please contact Arianne Brady, Communications Manager, at media@calgarychamber.com or at 403-750-0414.