A Calgary father has pleaded guilty to leaving his lightly clothed toddler alone inside a van parked outside a casino in below-zero weather.

The 50-year-old father pleaded guilty Monday to an offence under Alberta's Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act, which allows the province to place children under protection. The boy remains under temporary guardianship.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the child's identity, still faces a criminal charge of abandoning a child. He is reserving his plea until sentencing arguments can be heard on Oct. 8.

The child was found alone in a van in the parking lot of the Silver Dollar Casino in southeast Calgary in March, when the outside temperature was about –8 C. A patron heard a child crying and called for help just after midnight.

"Fire crews gained access to the vehicle and removed a 21-month-old male child from a rear child restraint," police said in a statement at the time. "The child had vomited on his clothing, [and was] very lightly dressed with no shoes or socks. He was cold and crying."

After the rescue, the father was arrested and the child was taken to hospital for assessment. The boy was not injured.