Childcare Options

Childcare Options in Calgary

Finding childcare in Calgary can take some planning, particularly as availability, fees, hours, and eligibility for government funding can vary between programs. Alberta offers several types of childcare, including daycares, family day homes, preschools, and out-of-school care.

Licensed childcare

Licensed childcare programs are regulated under Alberta's Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulation and are required to meet provincial standards for health, safety, staffing, and programming. Licensed care may be provided in a childcare centre or through a family day home overseen by a licensed agency.

The main options include:

• Daycare/childcare centres: Centre-based programs that provide care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and, in some cases, kindergarten-age children. Programs may offer full-time or part-time care.

• Family day homes: Childcare provided in an educator's home. Licensed family day homes operate under the oversight of a licensed family day home agency.

• Preschool programs: Generally part-time early-learning programs for preschool-aged children.

• Out-of-school care (OSC): Care provided before or after school, and often during school breaks, for school-aged children.

You can search for licensed childcare programs by location, age group, and program type using the Government of Alberta's Childcare Search. The search tool also provides information such as program contact information, extended or overnight care, and recent non-compliance history.

How childcare fees work

For eligible licensed daycares and family day homes participating in Alberta's Affordability Grant, the government provides funding directly to participating programs to reduce the fees families pay, meaning you only pay the price after subsidy.

For the 2026–27 program year, participating daycares and family day homes charge a parent fee of $326.25 per month for full-time care (100+ hours/month) or $230 per month for part-time care (50–99 hours/month). Programs may charge additional fees for optional services such as meals, transportation, field trips, diapers, extracurricular activities, or extended/overnight care. For example, the University Daycare (UCCC) charges a $120 per month meal recovery fee. 

Not every childcare space participates in the Affordability Grant, so please confirm the fees and funding arrangements directly with a program before enrolling.

To learn more about current fees and eligibility visit the Government of Alberta's Affordability Grant information page.

Child Care Subsidy

Alberta also provides a Child Care Subsidy for eligible families with children in full-time kindergarten through Grade 6. The amount depends on factors such as household income, the child's grade, the type of childcare, and the number of hours of care.

Subsidy may also be available for eligible families who require care outside regular hours, including evenings, early mornings, or weekends.

Families can check eligibility and apply through the Government of Alberta's Child Care Subsidy Program.

Finding a childcare space

Some waitlists are many months or years long. Childcare availability can vary considerably between programs, so it is helpful to contact several providers and ask about:

• Current availability and waitlists

• Age groups accepted (some do not take children younger than 12 or 16 months, for example)

• Full-time versus part-time spaces (some offer only full-time spaces)

• Hours of operation (this varies from space to space)

• Monthly fees and any additional charges (these also may change subject to notice)

• Meals, diapers, transportation, and other optional services

• Staff qualifications and educator-to-child ratios

• Vacation, sick-day, and withdrawal policies (i.e., University daycare is closed on university holidays)

• Whether the program receives Affordability Grant funding

The Government of Alberta's Childcare Connect service can also help families understand childcare options, find licensed programs, and answer questions about licensing, fees, and subsidies. It can be reached at 1-844-644-5165.

For additional guidance on evaluating a childcare program, including questions to ask when visiting a provider, see Alberta's Choose Quality Childcare resource.

Useful resources

• Find Childcare – Government of Alberta — Search licensed childcare programs and family day home agencies.

• Understand Alberta's Childcare System — Overview of childcare types and how the system works.

• Affordability Grant — Information about reduced parent fees.

• Child Care Subsidy Program — Eligibility and applications for subsidy.

• Choose Quality Childcare — Checklist and guidance for choosing a childcare provider.

• Alberta Childcare Family Portal — Information about Alberta's new online childcare records and funding portal.