The Alberta government announced on October 10th that the Space Creation Grant will be expanded to include private childcare operators.

The expansion will see $28 million be allocated to 22,500 new, licensed childcare spaces across the province.

Searle Turton, Minister of Children and Family Services, spoke at a press conference about the investment, saying that this investment comes at a time where new families are moving to Alberta and are struggling to find good, affordable childcare.

"Parents who are challenged to find accessible and affordable childcare right now will be happy to know that funding will be focused on creating new spaces in communities where they are needed the most," Turton said.

A lot of people are happy about the investment, including Cynthia Nerling, the President of Alberta Association of Childcare Operators. She says that this is good news for not only childcare operators, but for the working families that uses these services as well.

"We know that parents depend on us to provide excellent care that helps their kids to grow into their full potential. We also know that [families] are leaning on us to give them peace of mind, while they focus on their jobs, their studies, and the many demands that come with raising a family. I'm confident that this grant expansion will lead to more choice and stability for kids and their families", Nerling said.

Turton shared his excitement on the future that lies ahead with this expansion, saying that "there's a lot of work ahead of us, but we have so much progress to celebrate".

Listen to the radio feature below: