AACE Webinar Explores Key Challenges and National Campaign for Childcare Reform

Webinar for Childcare Operators Focused on Need for Policy Reforms, Highlighted National Awareness Week.

CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, September 18, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs (AACE) hosted a timely webinar on Tuesday, September 17, bringing together hundreds of childcare operators from across Canada to address the critical issues surrounding the future of childcare in Canada and the nationwide challenges resulting from the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Childcare (CWELCC) agreement.

The webinar, led by the AACE National Committee on Childcare Reform, was a call for collective support and advocacy among operators to build a unified national movement for policy reform. The central focus was on policy changes and the committee’s upcoming National Awareness Week campaign, which will be dedicated to addressing the pressing issues of childcare quality, accessibility, and funding. Solutions proposed include reinstating provincial jurisdiction over childcare and requesting ‘envelope funding’, a model in which the federal government provides funds directly to provinces, allowing them to create flexible childcare solutions tailored to local needs that preserve quality, protect parental choice, and ensure affordability.

“The CWELCC agreement, while well-intentioned, unfortunately strips away much of the flexibility and choice that Canadian parents and operators need, while placing immense financial strain on providers,” said AACE Board Chair, Krystal Churcher. “As operators, we need to come together, not just in our provinces but across the country, and push for a funding model that allows for the unique needs of each region to be met, while ensuring that more than just the current 30 percent of Canadian families who have access to childcare get what they need at the quality they deserve.”

Key topics discussed during the webinar included:

National Campaign Goals: The AACE National Committee on Childcare Reform outlined the campaign’s objectives for National Awareness Week, focusing on bringing understanding to parents about the on-the-ground challenges facing childcare operators since CWELCC’s implementation, namely limitations to expand to meet demand, insufficient funding leading to reduced quality of care, and a stripping away of parental choice.

Financial Strain on Childcare Operators: Many operators shared stories of financial uncertainty brought about by CWELCC’s rigid implementation and gross underfunding. They expressed concern that the current model threatens the viability of their centres, which in turn decreases the range and quality of childcare options available to Canadian families.

Collaborative Advocacy: The importance of nationwide collaboration was stressed throughout the webinar. Churcher called for operators from every province to unite in advocating for CWELCC reforms that prioritize local control, ensuring that childcare systems return to provincial control to better reflect the unique needs of each community.

Other topics discussed included the funding framework set to be implemented in Ontario in January 2025. Ontario-based operators remarked that the new framework will usher in increased complexity and financial strain while constraining business autonomy. Discussions made it apparent that the forthcoming challenges facing Ontario operators resonated with providers from across Canada who have to grapple with the strictures of the CWELCC agreement.

The webinar ended with an open Q&A session, where operators had the opportunity to voice their concerns and discuss strategies for engaging with parents, policymakers, and other stakeholders prior to the launch of the National Awareness Week. The overarching theme of webinar discussions was clear: by supporting one another and working together to raise awareness with parents, operators can build momentum toward an improved national childcare system that works well for everyone.

The committee is calling on all childcare operators, across all business models and provinces to stand united to represent the frontline of childcare and fight for sustainable centres within a childcare system that is affordable, accessible, and of the highest quality for parents. Operators are invited to join the weekly webinar again next week to discuss the next crucial advocacy steps of the national campaign for childcare reform.

Operators can register here to join the conversation on Tuesday, September 24 at 11:30 am MST.

For more information, please visit aacenational.ca. Parents, childcare professionals, and centre operators are encouraged to sign this petition and support the national movement.

About AACE

The Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs (AACE) represents for-profit and non-profit childcare centres and day home operators across Alberta. AACE is dedicated to advocating for policies that support a thriving mixed-market childcare system that upholds parental choice, prioritizes quality, and ensures the well-being of Alberta’s children.

Krystal Churcher, Chair
Association of Alberta Childcare Entrepreneurs (AACE)
+1 780-838-3103
email us here