Eligible stay-at-home parents may qualify for  a new subsidy of up to $100 per month, for each preschool age child who is participating in an approved early childhood development program.

Approved early childhood development programs refer to community-based services, including licensed nursery schools that provide opportunities for pre-school children - either on their own, or with a parent - to participate in activities that promote healthy child development.

• Programs that promote parent and child literacy (e.g., Books for Babies) 
• Play-based early childhood programs  (e.g., licensed nursery schools and moms and tots programs)
• Educational programs that help parents meet their child's learning and developmental needs (e.g., Positive Parenting, Nobody's Perfect) 
• Community-based recreational programs (e.g., Swim and Learn, Baby Steps)
• Drop-in centres 

• Day care centres
• Child care where parents remain on site (e.g., bingo halls, exercise facilities, etc)
• Services that currently provide cost-free programs (e.g., Parent Link Centres)

• at least one parent stays at home to care for preschool age children and does not work or go to school for more than 20 hours per week;
• family's combined gross monthly income and family structure qualify (see the Estimator Tool) ;  
• children are of preschool age (six years and under) and not yet attending Grade 1;
• the preschool children are registered in an approved early childhood development program; and
• funding is not being  provided through the child care subsidy or kin child care funding programs.

Eligible parents will qualify for up to $100 per month or up to $1,200 per child each year to offset the cost of approved early childhood program fees. If the program costs less than $100 per month, the actual fee will be paid.

Payment will be made on behalf of eligible  parents directly to the approved early childhood development program.

Additional Information

Payment Process

A parent must apply and qualify for the Stay-at-Home Subsidy Program.

Note:  Early childhood development programs must be approved to allow subsidy payments to be made.  

Subsidy application forms are available online at: www.child.gov.ab.ca, by calling the Parent Information Line at 1-866-714-KIDS(5437), and are also available from your Child and Family Services Authority Child Care Subsidy Office.