Subsidy Information
Government subsidies are available to families who qualify. Full time subsidy is provided for families who require 100 hours or more of child care during a month. Part time subsidy is also available for those requiring child care of 50-100 hours or more during a month. It is determined by the Subsidy Assessor what the families hours requirement and eligibility is. The Director does not have any authority or opinion in the decisions of eligibility of approval for subsidy. It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure all the required information is correct upon submission. Failure to provide proper information may result in denial of subsidy.
Parents are responsible to ensure they are fulfilling their subsidy requirements. If there is a change in the families’ circumstances the parent/guardian is required to report that to the subsidy office A.S.A.P. In the event that subsidy is denied and the amount is retracted it will be the responsibility of the parent to pay that portion immediately and make arrangements with the Director about their new fees schedule. The first and last month of subsidy is prorated. Since the center is not responsible or knows what those exact amounts will be if the child does not attend their full amount of hours, the parent will be charged under the assumption that the parent is getting their full subsidy. If there is a difference or parents are not filling their hours they will be responsible to cover the addition childcare costs. Any changes or discrepancies to the fees incurred by parents receiving subsidy will be due by the 1st of the month just as the rest of the payments.
If you have been approved by subsidy, it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that the guidelines are followed. As a caution, we’d like to inform parents that if the center is utilized during days off from work or school, differ from what was asked for upon application or abused, subsidy CAN cancel your benefits. It is the responsibility of the Director to report any abuse of subsidy usage.
Parents are welcome to apply, even if they are unsure if they qualify. Subsidy is not an “all or nothing” program. It is very common for some families to receive partial subsidy payments. It is based on family income as well as how many children in the family. Subsidy Guidelines and forms can be found on the Alberta Government website or by calling 1-866-714-5437.