UPDATED: Alberta government introduces bill to enhance childcare safety

The Alberta government has introduced amendments to increase accountability and transparency, address workforce challenges, and enhance health, safety, and quality in childcare. When children’s safety is compromised, the Alberta government said action is necessary. It added the proposed changes coming from the Early Learning and Childcare Amendment Act (ELCCAA) would help it ensure children’s safety by strengthening its ability to hold non-compliant providers accountable, speeding up its ability to deal with issues, and upholding public trust in the childcare system.“Albertans deserve to have confidence in their childcare system,” said Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade Minister Matt Jones in a Wednesday press release. “They deserve transparent, high-quality, and safe care for their kids.” When parents go to work or school, Jones said they need to know their children are safe in their childcare settings. He said the ELCCAA “would strengthen the tools available to enforce quality care and give parents peace of mind that their government has their back.”The Alberta government pointed out additional amendments would allow its childcare licensing team to impose penalties on licence holders and educators who jeopardize children’s safety and do not meet quality standards. By making these changes, Alberta would align with other Canadian jurisdictions.To build further trust in Alberta’s childcare system, it said amendments would ensure parents have easy access to vital information about their children’s care. In addition to the non-compliances already posted online, it confirmed these changes would put more information at the fingertips of parents, including the certification status of early childhood educators and stop orders against unlicensed childcare providers. It said amendments would enhance its ability to target particular issues at a childcare facility while allowing for the temporary closure of only part of a program rather than closing all of it down. This would help minimize impacts to children and parents. While it was bringing forward the ELCCAA to deal with problems, it said the majority of childcare providers provide safe, quality care. It added these programs will remain unaffected, continuing to provide childcare to their communities. Early Childcare Development Centre program manager Bernice Taylor said she was proud to support the ELCCAA. “As an established childcare provider, parents in my community trust in me to provide quality care,” said Taylor.“I am more than happy to provide parents with every reassurance they need so they can go to work and know their kids are safe, healthy and well taken care of in my facility.” Taylor noted it “is great to see the province stepping up and putting forward these important changes.”If passed, the Alberta government said the ELCCAA would address the recommendation from the Food Safety and Licensed Facility-Based Childcare Review Panel to clearly state that all facility-based licence holders must comply with applicable zoning, health, and safety legislation.Former University of Alberta agricultural, food, and nutritional science professor Lynn McMullen said legislation, policies, and processes across authorities have to be cohesive and complementary if they are to be effective. “As a member of the Food Safety and Licensed Facility-Based Childcare Review Panel, an expert in food safety standards and an advocate for food safety, I commend Alberta’s government for their proposed amendments to the Early Learning and Childcare Act,” said McMullen. “These changes prioritize the health and well-being of our children by strengthening the understanding of food safety and food handling requirements of childcare providers and regulators.”Alberta Infrastructure Minister Peter Guthrie followed up by saying some IT work will be required, so parts of the ELCCAA will not take effect until later dates. “So for proclamation to take place, we wanted to have that built out,” said Guthrie.“And so that’s going to take place in the spring.” After putting the penalties together with the statutory director and the rest of the team, Guthrie said they will have to go through development. He acknowledged government officials want to discuss the changes with the industry and give childcare centres some lead time.The Alberta government said in July it would be acting on recommendations from a report about food safety in licensed childcare facilities after the E. coli outbreak in various Calgary daycares..UPDATED: Alberta to comply with report from food safety review team after E. coli outbreak at Calgary daycares .Last fall, several licensed childcare facilities in Calgary were the sites of the largest E. coli outbreak in Alberta’s history. In response, the Alberta government established a panel to conduct a review of the circumstances surrounding the E. coli outbreak and recommend ways to prevent it from happening again. “Last year’s E. coli outbreak had a devastating impact on families, and we are committed to making sure an event like that never happens in our province again,” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

UPDATED: Alberta government introduces bill to enhance childcare safety

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