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Child Care Accountability Program and Use of Personal Information : For Parents and/or Guardians
The Child Care Accountability Program, established in March 2025, helps fulfill the government's responsibility for the safety and well-being of children in licensed child care programs while ensuring Alberta’s child care system is financially accountable. The Program allows for the creation of a Child Care Participant Number for every child in a licensed child care program, using information that parents/guardians already provide upon enrollment. The following provides additional information for parents and/or guardians with children attending licensed child care in Alberta.
What is the Child Care Participant Number?
The Child Care Participant Number (CCPN) is much like a student number, and it will be created using personal information that is already collected by child care providers during the registration process and is available to the government through child care providers. The CCPN will be used as a basis for government to pay child care providers for the children registered in their programs. CCPNs will help ensure the safety and well-being of children while improving financial accountability and transparency around how government funding is used.
What is changing?
The information parents provided to enroll their children in licensed child care programs will now be used to create a child care participant number (CCPN) for each child. In the past, the government only accessed this personal information as needed, mainly for audits or to check if child care programs were following licensing requirements. For example, the government reviewed attendance records, which included children’s names, to confirm past payments to child care programs or to ensure proper child-to-educator ratios. Now, by creating a CCPN for all existing children, and any new children entering the child care system, the ministry will have this information right away. This will improve financial accountability and give real time data on the number of children in licensed child care.
Why are you telling me about these changes to how my information is being used?
Protecting personal information is paramount, so we are keeping you up to date on how your personal information is being used in Alberta’s licensed child care system. No action is required from you to create the CCPN.
Do child care programs need parent consent to share my information?
Child care programs collect personal information to enroll your child. When registering, they should ask for your consent to collect, use and share this information with the government to provide child care services. If you have any questions about this process, contact your child care provider. The introduction of the CCPN does not change the requirement to collect, use or share personal information with the government. Licensed child care programs have always needed parental consent to share information with the government as part of licensing and grant requirements. Providers must handle personal information responsibly and follow privacy laws, such as the Personal Information Protection Act.
What if a parent does not want to share their child’s information for the Child Care Participant Number?
Licensed child care programs and the government collect personal information to help manage child care services. This information is protected under sections 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIP). Under the Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulation, as well as the Affordability Grant Agreement, licensed child care programs must share information about enrolled children with the government. The introduction of the CCPN does not change this requirement. If a parent or guardian does not consent to sharing their child’s information with the government, their child care program will not receive funding for that child. Additionally, if the program cannot provide this information, they may be non compliant with their licence and/or grant agreement.
Why is the parent’s name and contact information needed for the Child Care Participant Number?
Parent/guardian information is a part of the personal information collected to enroll a child in child care services. Having this information allows the government to contact parents directly in the event of an emergency or when there are safety concerns at their child’s program. In fall 2025, parents will also be able to view the funding provided on their behalf to reduce their child care fees.
My child does not receive government funding; will my child still need a Child Care Participant Number?
Yes, the CCPN is tied to the licensing requirements for all children attending a licensed child care program in Alberta, including out-of-school care programs.
How is the personal information of children and parents protected?
The Child Care Licensing Portal, which houses this personal information, has undergone both a Security Threat and Risk Assessment and a Privacy Risk Assessment, in collaboration with the Cybersecurity Division, Legal Services and Privacy Management Services. These assessments ensure that it meets the government’s high standards for security and privacy, and that all personal information collected and used in accordance with all applicable acts and regulations. All information entered into the Portal is encrypted both during transmission and at rest to ensure your data is protected. This encryption is completed using industry best practices. The personal information entered into the Child Care Licensing Portal is never disclosed to third parties, including within the Government of Alberta, without the consent of the person or their guardian.
Who do I contact if I have more questions?
If you have more questions, please email childcare@gov.ab.ca with the subject line “Accountability Program”.
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