Alberta reaches child-care deal with federal government

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney are set to announce a deal they've reached on child care during an event in Edmonton today.

The federal Liberal government has already inked deals with seven provinces and one territory on its $30-billion, five-year child care plan, which promises to cut child-care prices to an average of $10 per day across the country, but Alberta and Ontario so far have remained holdouts.

The Alberta government says Monday's announcement will include Trudeau, Kenney, and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as well as Families, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould, other provincial politicians and representatives from the child-care sector.

A spokesperson in the Prime Minister's Office confirmed Trudeau and his ministers will be in Edmonton in person for the event.

The federal plan has been widely celebrated by children and family advocates.

But Kenney said in April when the plan was announced that he didn't feel it accounted for stay-at-home parents, saying at the time that it would only support what he called "urban 9-to-5 government- and union-run institutional daycare options."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2021.