Anyone know about daycare subsidies??

[EllasMum]

Does anyone out there know anything about daycare subsidies in Alberta? I did a bit of digging and all I could find was info on subsidies for parents of special needs children. Is there such a thing as a "I'm a single mom and don't make much money how can I afford $700/month for daycare!" subsidy? :o

I'd appreciate any info. Thanks!

[Piglet]

I don't think there are too many subsidies, but you do get to claim childcare expenses on your income taxes. It makes a decent dent in the payment. There might be subsidies available from individual daycare centres, but I have never heard of provincial subsidies. One more thing to consider is dayhomes - I have a great one that I found when DS1 was 1 year old and now DS2 goes there. The price is WAY cheaper than the daycares around here (about $300 less a month!). Daycares might have subsidies though... oh and there is always the $100 a month that Stephen Harper plans to give out to kids under 7.

[EllasMum]

Thanks, Marina!

Yes, I am considering dayhomes. A friend sent me a list put out by an organization that monitors dayhomes - the list basically provides neighborhood, a bit of background about the provider, proximity to schools and availability. There are 2 on the list in my neighborhood but both are full right now. :( How long did it take you to find a dayhome that was available? And I have heard the ballpark daily rate for dayhomes to be around $30-$35... does that sound about right? I'm only going to need a dayhome about 3 days a week as my parents have offered to take DD two days/week. I am hoping the part-time status doesn't make it more difficult to find a place...

[Piglet]

I didn't go through an agency - I looked on community listing boards at Co-op, Safeway, etc. I also found a community website that seems to list dayhomes in my area, but I never called any of them. The agency ones are good because they are monitored and because they will provide back-up care if the caregiver is sick. The reason I didn't go with an agency is because they gave my spot away when I was looking the first time. A new dayhome opened up in my area and I checked it out, liked it and called the agency to let them know that I would take a spot a few months down the road. They told me that they would give me first right of refusal if the spots filled up suddenly. Two months later when I was calling to confirm my spot, they told me that another dayhome in the area had closed and they had arranged for all the kids to be transferred in to the dayhome I wanted. They had not told me they were doing this and definitely didn't give me first right of refusal. I understand why they had to do what they did - there were a bunch of parents without a dayhome, but I wish they had called to let me know. The other issue I had with the agencies is that they can put kids into the dayhome that I would rather not have at my kids' dayhome - in my dayhome, she makes sure that the kids she takes in are going to behave, and get along with the other kids. She has turned some families away because she thought it wouldn't be a good fit with the existing kids. In the agency dayhomes, there is less control by the individual provider and the agency can dictate who the provider takes in. Generally, it is not a problem, but I prefer the non-bureaucratic system we have right now (although at the time I was looking, the agency dayhomes appealed to me). As a rule, I find that dayhomes only work if you have back-up childcare. We have both sets of grandparents in the city, so if my caregiver is sick, someone can watch DS2. If I had no one to use as back-up, I would probably go the agency or daycare route.

As for part-time, it will always be harder to find a spot and more expensive per day, but it will still be cheaper than full-time. The best would be if you are flexible with your days and can match the daycare's schedule (i.e. - if they already have a baby that goes 2 days a week then you can try to arrange for the remainder 3 days). That is nice that your parents are willing to watch 2 days a week - it helps a lot!

It is really tough to find a good spot for your kids, but when you find the right one, it makes life so much easier! My DS2 loves his dayhome and I am able to leave him without any qualms. I think that your gut feel is the key - if it feels like a good fit, it probably is. I went to at least 5 dayhomes before I picked the one we use. I also called references and made sure that everything checked out. For the most part, everything has gone very smoothly and best of all, DS1 was hardly ever sick unlike many of his friends that were in daycares (although he probably had more colds once he started school, LOL).

Good luck,

[EllasMum]

Interesting I did not know that the agencies place the kids with the providers - I thought it was just a resource for parents looking for dayhomes. I think I will still look into it - I have also been checking the community boards and have seen ads for a few dayhomes in my part of town, but it never hurts to have lots of options. I have heard a few nightmare stories of people trying to find dayhomes for their babies and are unable to do so because most providers want older kids because they can take more of them! Yikes. I better get my butt in gear - July (end of mat leave - boohoo!) is rapidly approaching! Thanks for the info, Marina!

Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your little one! Congrats!

[torontomom]

deleted...

[tg_canada]

I found this https://www.childcaresubsidy.gov.ab.ca

It seemed to have some contradicting info on what age the child can be, so call them to be sure.

[EllasMum]

This is great! Thanks - it is exactly what I was looking for! :)