Mandatory daycare accreditation not viable: board
Last Updated: Thursday, July 22, 2010 | 10:32 AM MT
CBC News
The group responsible for daycare accreditation in the province says it would be impossible to accredit every single daycare in Alberta.
Sandra Beckman, executive director of the Alberta Association for the Accreditation of Early Learning and Care Services, said accreditation acts as a quality assurance for parents and daycare staff.
Beckman said she is worried her group's standards would have to be lowered for all daycares to qualify for the accreditation.
Beckman's comments come days after Yvonne Fritz, minister of child and youth services, said all daycares in the province should be accredited.
Fritz told CBC News Tuesday that in the next three months her department will introduce new regulations or increase funding to help daycares become accredited.
"There are lots of challenges. And you know, again, saying something is mandatory, then what happens? Does the bar lower?" Beckman said.
"And you don't want that. Accreditation, as I said, is like the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. You want it to be a high standard."
Since 2004, Alberta's accreditation process has been voluntary. Currently just over 80 per cent of daycares in the province are accredited, allowing for them to qualify for government funding.
Fritz said a review is underway to find out why some daycare operators are not going through the accreditation process.
Beckman, however, said about 14 per cent of daycares that apply for accreditation are unsuccessful on their first attempt. Only two per cent are unsuccessful on their second attempt, she said.
Those that aren't accredited can still operate but don't qualify for the same level of government funding.
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