PRIVATE CHILDCARE IN ALBERTA
Did you know that the majority of parents in Alberta utilize private childcare arrangements to meet their childcare needs? Whether regulated childcare is unavailable in your community or a private childcare arrangement better suits your lifestyle, you may have found yourself looking into private in-home childcare. And not knowing what to look for in private childcare, or how to ensure you’re choosing a quality childcare program, may have you feeling a bit anxious or uncertain. Is private childcare safe? What does quality private childcare look like? How do I find a quality private dayhome? These questions can make the process of looking for childcare feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.
Embolden PDC is here to help you navigate the world of private childcare.
Rest assured that with close to 30,000 private dayhomes needed to meet the demand for childcare in Alberta, many parents rely on private in-home childcare to meet their childcare needs.
YOUR ROLE AS A PARENT
The major difference between private care and regulated care is the level of government monitoring and support available for dayhome providers. Approved family dayhomes are monitored by the Government of Alberta and have access to various resources and support while private dayhomes do not. This means that when choosing private care, parents have a larger role to play in ensuring they are choosing a quality private dayhome program.
In Alberta, parents have a wide range of choice when selecting the childcare option that best fits their family situation.
FINDING A PRIVATE DAYHOME
Sometimes finding a quality private dayhome can feel overwhelming. There are so many options out there and it’s difficult to know which dayhomes to explore and which ones to avoid. The Embolden PDC Directory helps to narrow down your search by connecting you with private dayhomes who are committed to going above and beyond the minimum standards for private dayhomes in Alberta. All dayhomes within our directory are pre-verified and must meet our community standards prior to being showcased.
CHOOSING A PRIVATE DAYHOME
So how do you ensure that you are choosing a quality private childcare program? As a parent, you are responsible for ensuring that your private dayhome is a safe and nurturing environment for your children. You might find it helpful to sit down and determine the criteria and standards that you feel your private dayhome should meet. Not sure where to start? Download our Private Dayhome Cheat Sheet.
INTERVIEWING A PRIVATE DAYHOME
Once you’ve found some private dayhomes that meet your requirements and criteria, it’s time to start interviewing. During the interview you’ll get a good feel for the dayhome provider and whether or not their program would be a good fit for your child. Not every dayhome you interview is going to be the best fit and that’s ok! The important thing to remember is that your dayhome provider is an expert in dayhome interviews and determining the best fit for their dayhome dynamic. You can check out our free Parent Guide “Navigating Unlicensed Child Care” for some tips and tricks for interviewing – including some thought provoking questions that can help you get to know your provider.
MAINTAINING A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DAYHOME PROVIDER
Once you’ve chosen the perfect dayhome for your family, the work isn’t over! As a parent utilizing private childcare, you are responsible for ensuring the long term safety of your children while in that providers care. This means that you should strive to establish a strong relationship with your dayhome provider. Being appropriately involved in your children’s care will help to ensure that your provider remains supported and accountable as they care for your children.
Maintaining open communication with your provider will help you to identify any concerns or issues before they become a risk.
REPORTING INCIDENTS
Recently, the Government of Alberta passed new legislation to protect children in unlicensed care. Effective February 1, 2021 the Alberta government can investigate complaints about private, unlicensed child care providers when there is reason to believe that:
- a person is providing care for more than 6 children (not including their own), or
- an imminent threat to the health, safety, or welfare of any children to whom the person is offering or providing care exists.
If either of these is confirmed, Children’s Services will issue and enforce a stop order. In this situation, parents of the children in the unlicensed program will be notified of the stop order.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
childcare directory
Embolden PDC is home to Alberta's first and only verified private childcare directory. Narrow your search to private dayhomes who are committed to going above and beyond the minimum standards in Alberta.
facebook page
Check out our Facebook Page to stay up to date on all the new and exciting things happening in the Embolden Private Dayhome Community.
Get the guide
In need of private childcare, but not sure where to start? Grab our free guide! We'll go over all the in's and out's of private childcare and how you can protect yourself and your children when utilizing private childcare in Alberta.
Our Standards
Embolden PDC Members are collectively committed to going above and beyond the minimum standards for private care in Alberta. Learn our standards here.