For young children who don’t have a parent to take care of them during the day, you might consider a babysitter in your home. Babysitters may supervise up to 6 children without a license. However, most working parents choose a child care program.

The Alberta Government regulates the standards for child care, including day care, out of school care, family day homes, nursery schools, and drop-in centres. Facilities must be licensed and supervised by trained staff.

Government Policy

• Alberta Children's Services provides information and check-lists to help parents find quality child care, plus information and links about child care subsidies, adoption, and parent support services. It also has information about the Kids Help Line and the Child Care Help Line for Parents.
• National Child Benefit provides financial and social support to low-income families.

Finding Child Care

• Child Care Services - Yellow Pages provides listings of child care facilities throughout Edmonton.
• Discover Edmonton Child Care gives information about private day homes offering childcare.
• Edmonton and Area Child and Family Services offers detailed information on available support services, and a list of care facilities, by neighbourhood. 
• University of Alberta Child Care: The U of A has 5 accredited child care centres.

More Resources

• Childcare Facilities and Dayhomes links child care information sites, facilities, and day homes in Edmonton. The site is bilingual, and it also has excellent links to a variety of resources for women, from health care to human rights. 
• Edmonton YMCA Childcare Information: The Y provides childcare and after school programs, and a scope of family services to support healthy kids and families.