Mercedes Pepper, 19 months, died of head injuries at the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary. (Facebook)

Police in southern Alberta have charged a Medicine Hat woman with manslaughter in connection with the death of a toddler under her care at her private-home daycare.

An original charge of aggravated assault has been upgraded to manslaughter, Medicine Hat police said on Monday. The 24-year-old woman also faces a charge of failing to provide the necessities of life.

Mercedes Pepper, who was 19 months old, was flown last week to the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary, where she died from head injuries. Investigators believe she suffered the trauma at her day home, a provincially approved facility run out of a private residence.

The accused, whose name has not been released, is in police custody and is scheduled to appear at a bail hearing Tuesday morning.

Police had previously reported that Pepper was 18 months old and the accused 23 years old.

Alberta's 2,800 day homes — usually run by parents seeking extra income — are allowed to care for up to six children. Day homes must pass 12 standards, while full-fledged daycares are licensed under more stringent criteria.

A trust fund has been set up in the name of Pepper's mother, Sarah Hemstra. People may contribute at any TD Bank location. Money collected will go toward the girl's burial costs, according to local reports.