Cochrane child care providers met with Children's Services minister Danielle Larivee, Nov. 2, to discuss the potential of establishing $25 per day child care in Cochrane when the Alberta Government expands the initiative.

The minister was joined by Banff-Cochrane MLA Cam Westhead to visit an existing pilot project in Banff and met with officials in both Canmore and Cochrane to discuss the possibility of including the communities as future early learning and child care centres supported by the program.

Cochrane FCSS manager Kim Krawec says the need is here for lower cost child care but also for the extended hours successful applicants would be required to offer.

"We have some concrete data saying that extended hours in Cochrane are lacking," says Krawec. "Early in the morning, going late at night is something we don't currently have in our community but this could potentially offer it."

She's excited about the potential for Cochrane families and work will begin on developing a proposal.

"We'll start getting some preliminary plans in place so our community can jump on it when it comes out. We know it's needed and we hope our community can get in on it."

Laurie Bourdage, Parent Link Centre co-ordinator, says it will fill a gap that currently exist in child care services.

"It will require a component of offering extended weekday hours and weekend care, so having that option available is valuable for people who are commuting, working different hours or doing shift work beyond 9 a.m. to 5 p.m."

Larivee is leading the province's drive to make child care accessible and affordable while ensuring the curriculm helps children learn through play. She doesn't shoulder the full load of this goal upon child care providers but says they have an important role to play.

"I really support collaboration between community groups and agencies to look at raising children as a community and that it's not just happening at the day care but everybody is taking their piece and figuring out how to enhance the potential for our children."

She also believes making the program universally accessible regardless of income is the right approach, and is one also endorsed by the federal government.

"Because it doesn't matter how much money you make, we all struggle with trying to figure out how to be parents and have access to services."

Last spring, the Alberta government announced the support of 22 pilot projects. All are three years in duration and there is a rigorous evaluation process with results reported each year. The government will use to data to determine continued funding and/or possible expansion of the program.

"We're looking forward to taking those learnings and, next time we roll it out, implementing those changes and as we move forward using the learnings from the previous sites to make it even better," explains Larivee.

Just how far the ambitious program can expand relies in part on the bilateral agreement reached between the federal government and provinces to create more early education and child care centres. Over 11 years, the feds have committed to provide a total of $7.5 billion. Manitoba has already come to terms with Ottawa and will initially receive $45 million over the next three years.

Exactly what will be agreed upon with Alberta is in the works.

"We're currently finalizing a funding agreement from the federal government. in terms of ensuring that we have the funding to expand it even further. Our goal, absolutely, is that every single Albertan will have access to those kinds of services in their communities, but right now they're pilot sites."

Westhead believes an agreement with Ottawa will be finalized soon.

"The federal government and provincial government recognized that early childhood learning is an essential investment for kids to reach their full potential so having universal accessible, affordable, quality child care is a worthy investment in our country and in our province and in our propersous future," says Westhead.

He believes Cochrane would be a good fit for the expansion of the program.

"Cochrane is a community with a lot of young families who may have just bought their first home, have young kids and are trying to make ends meet. So having enough child care spaces in a growing town like Cochrane is really important. What we heard around the table from the stakeholders is they're really keen to see the program expand and are ready to jump on board and be part of the solution."

Larivee agrees there is keen interest here.

"Hopefully there's an major proposal coming out of Cochrane and I will be back here in phase 2 and be able to announce it's moving forward."