City of Cold Lake is addressing the community’s childcare shortage with a new incentive program aimed at creating up to 100 new licensed spaces.
Cold Lake council approved the the Child Care Space Incentive Program at the May 28th meeting. Weeks after learning that the city was not on the province’s priority list for targeted childcare funding.
“It doesn’t matter which approach that you take, childcare space is a childcare space,” said CAO Kevin Nagoya. “We thought we’d do a maximum exposure here, proposal of about 100 spaces program as a whole.”
The program offers $1,500 per new licensed space, with a limit of $30,000 per project, for both for-profit and non-profit providers. The funding is to help with capital costs, like building, renovating, or expanding childcare facilities.
Nagoya said Cold Lake’s exclusion from the provinces funding is “quite problematic.” The city is now seeking clarity and plans to appeal directly to Alberta’s Ministry of Children and Family Services. “There is a list of community priorities, and the city of Cold Lake is not one of them… which is quite fascinating,” he said.
He also noted that local construction costs make municipal support extra important. Councilor Chris Vining raised concerns that if the new spaces don’t qualify for provincial-federal funding, it could affect the success of the city’s program. Nagoya clarified that the grants focus on capital needs, not operational costs.
The policy includes accountability measures. Half of the grant will be issued upon the projects completion and licensing, with the other half given following a report showing continued compliance and impact.
Kristy Isert, General Manager of Corporate Services, said a proposed budget to determine how the program will be funded, will be brought forward at the June 10th meeting.
