Alberta Childcare Funding—Federal Affordability Grant & Alberta Child Care Subsidy
Yes, our day homes are eligible for both types of government funding!
As a licensed agency, we are able to access government funding to help reduce your childcare costs.
The Alberta government recently introduced changes to their child care funding. Starting April 1, 2025, the Alberta Childcare Subsidy will no longer be applicable for children up to kindergarten age. The Affordability Grant will be applied in its place, and all families will pay a flat, monthly fee:
- $326.25 per child for full time care (100+ hours per month)
- $230.00 per child for part time care (50-99 hours per month)
- Less than 50 hours of care per month not eligible for funding
The Alberta Childcare Subsidy will continue to be available for eligible families with school age children enrolled in a licensed child care program.
 | What is the Affordability Grant? |
The Affordability Grant is part of the federal-provincial child care agreement, which aims to reduce the average cost of childcare to $10/day by 2026. It applies to children up to kindergarten age.
Families will pay a flat rate “parent portion” based on their enrolment in either full time or part time care.
- Full time care = $326.25/child/month (100+ hours)
- Part time care = $230.00/child/month (50-99 hours)
- < 50 hours not eligible
This funding is not income-based like the Alberta Child Care Subsidy. It is only available through regulated childcare programs, such as licensed day care facilities or family day homes overseen by a licensed agency.
As a licensed agency, we apply for this funding on behalf of each child. It is applied directly to your program fees.
How does the Affordability Grant work?
The Alberta government pays the difference between the program fees and the parent portion. This is paid directly to the child care program.
The parent pays the parent portion directly to the child care program.
PROGRAM FEE – PARENT PORTION = GOVERNMENT PORTION
How is this different from the previous system?
- Simpler administration of funding via a single program (rather than a combination of Affordability Grant and Alberta Child Care Subsidy)
- No application and renewal process to access government funding
- All families pay the same monthly fees, reducing uncertainty and confusion
- Funding no longer based on family income, employment status, etc.
Other notes on parent fees
Certain programs may charge supplemental fees for enhanced services (items not considered “core” child care services), for example:
- Transportation
- Meals
- Field trips
- Diapers
- Extended hours/overnight care
Certain programs may charge supplemental fees for non-compliance, for example:
- Late pickup
- Late payment
For more information, see the Early Learning and Child Care ‘What’s Changing’ Fact Sheet For Family Day Home Agencies and Educators.
 | What is the Alberta Child Care Subsidy? |
Alberta Child Care Subsidy is a program that assists eligible families with childcare costs for their school-aged children (kindergarten to age 12) attending licensed child care programs outside of school hours.
As of April 1, 2025, Child Care Subsidy is no longer available to children from zero to kindergarten.
Subsidy is a support program based on family income, hours of care, and type of care. You may qualify for full or partial subsidy based on your circumstance, including if you are looking for work, are attending school, or you or your child have a special need.
You must apply for this funding, but it will be paid directly to your program. Learn more about what’s required and how to apply here.
Subsidy Rates as of April 1, 2025
| Family income | Daycare 100 hrs | Dayhome 100 hrs | Grades 1 to 6 50 hrs |
| $0—$49,999 | $644 | $516 | $366 |
| $50,000—$54,999 | $612 | $490 | $348 |
| $55,000—$59,999 | $547 | $439 | $311 |
| $60,000—$64,999 | $483 | $387 | $275 |
| $65,000—$69,999 | $419 | $335 | $238 |
| $70,000—$74,999 | $354 | $284 | $201 |
| $75,000—$79,999 | $290 | $232 | $165 |
| $80,000—$84,999 | $225 | $181 | $128 |
| $85,000—$89,999 | $161 | $129 | $92 |
How to Apply for Alberta Childcare Subsidy
You can apply online up to one month prior to care. Here’s what you’ll need to apply:
- A valid MyAlberta Digital ID account
- The name of your day home agency (NOT the individual educator)
- The following information for yourself and your spouse/partner
- Your most recent Notice of Assessment (from your income taxes)
- Income (line 15000)
- Medical expenses (line 33199)
- Education expenses (line 32000)
- Social insurance number
- Signed consent form allowing the AB Government to access your information with the CRA (to verify your information) – this form is provided during the online application
- Your most recent Notice of Assessment (from your income taxes)
Frequently Asked Questions
How does funding work on my monthly bill?
- You register for full-time (100+ hours per month) or part-time (50-99 hours per month)
- Applicable government funding is applied
- Age 0 to kindergarten: We apply for the federal Affordability Grant for you, based on your enrolment (full time or part time)
- Kindergarten to age 12: you apply for Alberta Subsidy (if eligible) and provide us with proof of conditional or full approval
- You only ever pay the parent portion of the fees
- Age 0 to kindergarten FULL TIME = $326.25 per child, per month
- Age 0 to kindergarten PART TIME = $230.00 per child, per month
- Kindergarten to age 12 = program fee – subsidy = parent portion
- You pay the parent portion for the month in advance (e.g. January’s fee is paid at the beginning of January).
- Note, your first and last months of Alberta Child Care Subsidy may look different as they are based on actual hours of care (80 hours = 80% of subsidy)
Important Notes:
- The agency uses your child attendance record to claim funding – it’s very important that you sign your time sheets each day and ensure their accuracy!
- Though we subtract the government funding from your fee immediately, the agency does not actually receive the government funding until the following month (after attendance records are submitted).
Do I lose access to funding if I lose my job or am on leave?
For the Affordability Grant (0-kindergarten), no. This funding does not evaluate your employment status or income.
For the Alberta Child Care Subsidy (kindergarten to age 12), yes. Changes to your employment status affect your eligibility for this type of funding.
If my child is enrolled full time, but does not attend 100+ hours one month, does this impact fees/funding?
No. If a child is enrolled full time, fees do not change, regardless of the number of hours of care received. This can be due to holidays, paid closures, illness, etc.
You pay the full fee in order to secure your child’s spot.
Can I transfer my subsidy from another program to CRFDH?
You can transfer subsidy if you move from one childcare facility (or licensed dayhome agency) to another:
- Use the online Change of Information form or PDF to change the name of the program you are attending
- Share a copy of the confirmation page with our agency
How long does my subsidy last? Do I need to renew?
Conditional approval is typically granted for 2-3 months upon application (this will be clear in your letter of approval). You will need to renew your application at the end of this conditional approval period.
If you receive full approval, the period of time that you’re approved for will vary – sometimes a year, sometimes less (again, this will be clear in your letter of approval). This means your subsidy will require renewal periodically.
You should receive a reminder from the government when your subsidy is set to expire and will you need to reapply / renew. You can do this easily online.
Can you pull up my subsidy information or make changes for me?
The agency is a third party contracted with the government, not an actual branch of the government. We have no involvement in the application process or the subsidy system itself.
Your subsidy/application information is a confidential contract between you and the Alberta Government.
You can view your approval status, renew, and/or make changes to your application online using your MyAlberta Digital ID.
Is subsidy retroactive?
The application form will ask you for your child’s start date in care. You can enter a date up to 30 days in the past. It will not be retroactively applied beyond this time period. For this reason you should apply for subsidy as soon as you can to not miss any government funding!
I was conditionally approved - what does this mean?
This could mean couple of things
- They need more time to review your documentation
- They need supporting documentation to verify the information that you submitted on the online application from – letter of employment, school enrolment records, etc.
Most day homes are not able to honour conditional approval because they will not receive funds from the government on your behalf until there is full approval.
This means, until you’ve received full approval, you’ll be responsible to pay the full amount (minus any Affordability Grant).
Once your subsidy is approved, your account will be adjusted (credited for any applicable subsidy backpay).
For other questions please contact the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992.
Helpful Links
About the Federal-Provincial Childcare Agreement
About the Alberta Child Care Subsidy Program
Child Care Subsidy Estimator
Child Care Eligibility Criteria
Child Care Subsidy Application Form
When we signed up with our first child, there was a lot of new paperwork to figure out and the agency was a great help. [CRFDH] guided us through and even helped us to apply for subsidy (which was a bit confusing so I am so glad we had their help with it)