Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs is a not-for-profit comprised of childcare operators from across the province. Its goal is to advocate for choice in childcare that supports both families and operators.
AACE Urges Common Sense Albertans, Canadians, and Entrepreneurs to Ask: Affordable Childcare – At What Cost?
— Krystal Churcher, Chair
CALGARY, AB, CANADA, January 22, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Today, the Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs (AACE) announces its firm stance against the current version of the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Program (CWELCC), highlighting the detrimental effects it could have on the childcare industry, the quality of care, and the principle of parental choice. AACE and its members refuse to stand by as the government implements a program that risks destroying their businesses and compromises childcare quality and choice.
The association calls upon common sense Albertans and entrepreneurs to join their fight to save the industry and uphold the values that Albertans hold dear. While AACE and its members wholeheartedly support the goal of affordable childcare, the organization insists on a dialogue to explore meaningful, sustainable approaches to achieve it, rather than accepting a flawed system that threatens the livelihoods of operators, and then subsequently those of parents as they begin to lose their childcare options.
“In an era where political agendas often drown out the voices of those on the ground, Alberta’s childcare entrepreneurs are tired of being sidelined,” said AACE Chair, Krystal Churcher. “We’ve listened to politicians and special interest groups, who know nothing of our day-to-day challenges, use their platforms to undermine us. Our members, many of whom are women and new Canadians, have been pivotal in creating a diverse and high-quality childcare system, where a majority of for-profit operators have served Alberta families for decades. Yet, this very foundation is now under threat by ideologically-driven policies and inadequate funding.”
Alberta has long benefited from a mixed-market approach to childcare, offering families high-quality options and the freedom to choose providers that best meet their individual needs. This system is now at risk due to the currently structured, highly inflexible, Ottawa-imposed CWELCC agreement, criticized for being grossly underfunded and pushing towards a nationalized public model that limits choice and quality.
“The Parliamentary Budget Office in Ottawa and analyses from think tank, Cardus, highlight a glaring shortfall in the CWELCC agreement’s funding, exceeding $9 billion dollars annually. An underfunded system, introduced by a federal Government obsessed with prioritizing its public childcare model, will only diminish the quality of childcare and leave families with no choice but to resort to underfunded state-run programs. This is just one of the real costs of the $10/day childcare promise,” added Churcher.
AACE emphasizes that childcare quality is a product of responsible regulation and enforcement, not the business model of a facility. Alberta’s regulations have ensured high standards, but these are now jeopardized by federal overreach.
The association also highlights the critical role of provincial jurisdiction in childcare, urging Alberta and other provinces to resist federal encroachments on their authority. Recent discussions with Alberta’s Minister of Children and Family Services have underscored the importance of defending the sector from federal policies that undermine provincial autonomy and the contributions of private childcare providers.
Echoing the sentiments of Argentinian President, Javier Milei, in his recent speech at the World Economic Forum, AACE encourages entrepreneurs not to yield to political pressures that threaten their operations and the welfare of society. Milei’s words resonate deeply with the childcare sector: “Do not be intimidated by the political caste… Do not surrender to the advance of the state… Let no one tell you that your ambition is immoral. If you make money, it’s because you offer a better product at a better price, thereby contributing to general wellbeing….”
AACE concludes with a passionate call to action for common sense Albertans, Canadians and entrepreneurs: to stand against the CWELCC agreement in its current form and advocate for a childcare model that truly serves the needs of Alberta’s families without sacrificing choice, quality, or entrepreneurial spirit. The future of childcare, and potentially other sectors, hangs in the balance, making it imperative for all concerned citizens and business owners to voice their opposition to policies that threaten the fabric of our society and economy.
For more information, visit: https://www.atwhatcost.info/
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About AACE:
The Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs (AACE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing for-profit and non-profit childcare centres, as well as day home operators across Alberta. AACE advocates for policies and practices that enhance the quality and accessibility of childcare services within a thriving mixed-market childcare system, ensuring the well-being and development of children, as well as childcare choice for Alberta parents and families.
Krystal Churcher, Chair
Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs (AACE)
+1 780-838-3103
[email protected]
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Article originally published on www.einpresswire.com as Alberta Childcare Association Vows to Fight to Preserve Childcare Quality and Choice
