04/09/2026
🚨 Early Childhood Educators Are Losing Access to Professional Development 🚨
On April 1st, major changes to professional development funding came into effect across Alberta’s child care sector.
While funding may still “exist” on paper… access to it has been significantly limited.
What does this actually mean?
Educators won’t be able to actually USE the full funding….
👉 If funding can’t be accessed, it becomes easier to reduce later
👉 25+ years of sector-built knowledge gets sidelined overnight
👉 PD participation will drop rapidly, even if funding exists
👉 Local conferences (like ours) lose access
👉 One-size-fits-all learning replaces community-rooted knowledge
❗ Fewer approved workshops and conferences
❗ No new training opportunities added for a full year
❗ No release time funding for educators
❗ Increased barriers for Level 1 & 2 educators
❗ Reduced access to culturally relevant and community-based learning, Indigenous programming gets sidelined.
For over 25 years, organizations like ours have provided meaningful, inclusive, and community-driven professional development for educators across all levels. Now, many of these opportunities are no longer eligible for funding.
Let’s be clear:
👉 This is not just a policy change
👉 This is a limitation on access
👉 This impacts educators, programs, and ultimately… children
When educators can’t access meaningful learning, program quality is affected.
When community voices are excluded, diversity in care is lost.
When funding can’t be used, it raises serious concerns about what comes next.
Our conferences are not just for Level 3 educators. They support educators at all levels, across diverse communities, including Indigenous programs.
We will continue to advocate for:
✔️ Inclusive and accessible professional development
✔️ Recognition of community-based learning
✔️ Equitable access for ALL educators
Because Alberta’s children deserve educators who are supported, growing, and empowered.
📢 Contact us at: [email protected] for a template letter and emails to join us in advocacy!
