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What You Need To Know About The Alberta Child Care Grant In 2025

Many families across Alberta will have finished their planning and preparation for 2025. With the first month of the year slowly drawing to a close, many families may be looking for ways to help better prepare themselves financially. This can include budgets, the elimination of unnecessary expenditures and looking for more affordable childcare options.

Especially as we enter the tax season, many families may not be aware of the entitlements they are eligible for to help them save money. The same can be said for professionals responsible for the care of children and early childhood development.

Our experts at Gallo LLP are here to highlight one very important grant that may be available for business owners specializing in the care of children: the Alberta Child Care Grant and Funding Program.

Find out more about how the Alberta Child Care Grant is helping make life affordable for Albertans, and how the dedicated team at Gallo LLP can help child care providers use this grant to assist with their financial needs.

What Is The Alberta Child Care Grant?

The Alberta Child Care Grant is available to professionals who work in the field of licensed daycare, out-of-school care centres and pre-school programs, as well as those who work in licensed family day homes. The grant is a series of funds that help support the hiring, retention and continued development of professionals within the child care industry. The available support includes the following:

  • Wage Top-Up
  • Professional Development Funding
  • Release Grant Funding
  • Mandatory Employee Contribution Funding

The support provided during these funding opportunities can lead to a broader, more comprehensive community of child care professionals and businesses to help serve the child care needs for Albertans.

What Are The Types of Grant Funding?

As a child care professional, you may be wondering which of the grand fund types you are entitled too. The available support under the Alberta Child Care Grant can help increase the scope of your professional development, as well as bring your business the levity it may need when it comes to its financial health and wellbeing. Here are some of the grant funding types:

Wage Top-Up Funding

The Wage Top-Up Funding is funding that provides licensed child care programs with a wage top-up for certified early childhood professionals over and above the base wage that is paid by their employer. This grant funding enhancement is for certified frontline staff who provide direct child care services, as well as supervisors and coordinators with a licensed family day home agency.

Professional Development Funding

The Professional Development Funding is part of the grant that provides licensed child care programs with the finances needed to pursue continued professional development and education, and use the funds for post-secondary tuition, textbooks and conferences or workshops. This can be up to $1,500 per year for post-secondary education!

This funding is made available for professionals who provide direct child care and have a post-secondary education in the field, as well as have worked at least 29 hours in one month preceding the date of the expenditure or when the funding application was received.

Release Time Funding

Release Time Funding is available for all early childhood educators who are eligible for the Professional Development Funding, but this funding is paid to the professional during the course of their studies. This includes the completion of post-secondary coursework and/or attending workshops that have been approved by the fund. This can result in upwards of $1,600 per fiscal year for each course the professional is registered in.

Mandatory Employer Contribution Funding

The Mandatory Employer Contribution Funding is an additional component of the Wage Top-Up Funding that can help child care programs with making required payroll contributions and premium payments associated with the Wage Top-Up. The Mandatory Employer Contribution Funding is paid at a rate of 9.51% of the total Wage Top-Up Funding received by the program, and is represented by the portion of the program’s Canada Pension Program (CPP), Employment Insurance (EI), and Workers Compensation Board (WCB) payroll expenditures that are related to these top-ups.

How Gallo LLP Can Help Your Business With Child Care Grant Funding

Gallo LLP is your trusted partner for corporate tax accounting, offering expertise, personalized service, and proactive strategies to support your business. For small businesses in Alberta’s child care sector, Gallo LLP provides specialized guidance to help you effectively apply your Alberta Child Care Grant funding to your business taxes.

With a deep understanding of tax regulations and a commitment to the financial health of greater Edmonton area businesses, Gallo LLP ensures this vital funding is maximized to benefit your operations. Their tailored solutions align with your financial goals, ensuring compliance, efficiency, and long-term success for your child care business.

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