Frequently Asked Questions

AECEA offers three membership categories:

• Professional members are Alberta-certified early childhood educators (ECEs) and post-secondary educators who work in the field of early learning and child care. This category also includes staff and contractors who work for, or in support of, licensed child care programs and approved family day home agencies.
• a monthly e-newsletter, Networking News, that includes updates on AECEA’s activities, information about professional learning opportunities and events, links to the latest research and inspirational stories from the field
• Student members are enrolled in post-secondary early learning and child care programs in Alberta. Students in leadership, management, human resources, and other programs related to early learning and child care are also eligible for AECEA membership.
• Associate members are agencies or groups that support AECEA’s goals.

Professional members and student members have voting rights at AECEA’s general meetings. Associate members are welcome to attend AECEA meetings, but cannot vote.

• Membership with AECEA is free for full-time students enrolled in publicly funded post-secondary ECE programs in Alberta.
• Part-time students pay a reduced membership fee of $50 + GST per year.
• Annual fees for associate members are $125 + GST.
• Annual fees for professional members are $125 + GST.
• Monthly fees for professional members are $10.75 + GST per month.
• Professional members whose employers participate in AECEA’s group health plan pay $95 + GST for their annual fees.

AECEA’s professional and student members are part of the association’s strong, united voice on legislation, policy, funding, training, professional learning and other issues that affect ECEs.

Professional and student members enjoy the following benefits:

• the opportunity to contribute to AECEA’s advocacy for accessible, affordable, high-quality child care delivered by a respected, well-compensated professional ELCC workforce
• a monthly e-newsletter, Networking News, that includes updates on AECEA’s activities, information about professional learning opportunities and events, links to the latest research and inspirational stories from the field
• discounts on AECEA-sponsored workshops and events (including the popular annual conference, which is usually sold out)
• reduced fees for selected educational and professional learning offerings sponsored by AECEA’s partners
• access to a group health benefits plan (available to professional and student members whose employers are AECEA associate members)
• reduced membership fees for professional members whose employers participate in AECEA’s group health benefits plan
• AECEA’s support and organizational backing to empower personal advocacy for the recognition of ECEs as well-qualified, well-compensated professionals
• opportunities to develop leadership skills and make a difference by getting involved in the association
• free affiliate membership in the Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF), which is a cost saving of $65
  • CCCF affiliate membership includes discounts on books and resources, weekly email updates and access to the federation’s members-only quarterly journal
• 15% off the Imagine Institute for Learning (formerly ECDSS) workshops
• 15% off personal tax returns through UFile
• 15% off public workshops through the Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute (CTRI) and the ACHIEVE Centre for Leadership and Workplace Performance
• Up to 40% off home and auto insurance through The Co-Operators
• NEW! 30% off yearly Institute of Child Psychology membership

AECEA’s associate members enjoy the following benefits:

• free affiliate membership in the CCCF, which is a cost saving of $90
• access to a number of workforce and workplace related benefits and discounts, including the following:
  • a comprehensive group health benefit plan that offers life and disability insurance, coverage for prescription drugs, dental and vision care, and medical coverage for travellers
  • access to Foster Park Brokers commercial insurance, which is tailored to the ELCC industry
  • 15% off on-site workshops through the Imagine Institute for Learning (formerly ECDSS)
  • $25 off T2 tax filing through UFile
  • 10% discount on HRDownloads, a web-based HR software that is tailored to your needs

There are three certification levels in Alberta:

• Level 1 Early Childhood Educator
• Level 2 Early Childhood Educator
• Level 3 Early Childhood Educator

If you are looking to work in a licensed day care program, out-of-school care program, or pre-school program you need to be certified. Child care staff must be certified within 6 months of employment and must not have unsupervised access to children until certified.

Once you apply, your application will be reviewed to determine if you are eligible for one of the 3 levels of child care staff certification:

• Level 1 Early Childhood Educator
• Level 2 Early Childhood Educator
• Level 3 Early Childhood Educator

For more information, see the Child Care Staff Certification Guide

*Children's Services website - April 25, 2022 (Child Care Staff Certification Guide (April 25, 2022))

*AECEA makes every effort to ensure this information is up to date. Please consult original documentation/website to confirm accuracy*

An approved language proficiency assessment is required for certification as a Level 2 or 3 Early Childhood Educator unless an individual’s education was completed in a country where English or French is the primary language of instruction throughout all levels of schooling.

The countries below have been identified as providing instruction in English throughout all levels of schooling

If the education was completed in a country not listed below, a language proficiency assessment is required.

Language proficiency assessments accepted for certification:

• CELPIP General (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program).

Level 7 must be achieved in all areas (reading, writing, listening, speaking)
Website: www.celpip.ca
Toll free phone: 1-800-958-5186

• IELTS General (International English Language Testing System)

A score of 6 must be achieved in all areas (reading, writing, listening, speaking) .
Website: www.ielts.org

Individuals who have completed some related coursework but have not received an educational credential may be assessed against the content and hours from Alberta early learning and child care certificate and diploma programs. 

*Children's Services website - April 25, 2022 (Child Care Staff Certification Guide (April 2022))

Level 1 Early Childhood Educator

You will be eligible to receive Level 1 Early Childhood Educator certification upon completion of one of the following:

• a 45-hour (3 credit) post-secondary course related to child development
  • Acceptable 3-credit post-secondary courses related to child development include:
    • Introduction to early learning and child care
    • Learning through play
    • Educational psychology
• the Child Care Orientation Course
• CCS 3110, 3120, 3130, 3140, and 3150 offered through Career and Technology Studies at Alberta high schools
• the Step Ahead Family Day Home Training or Family Child Care Training Program through an approved Alberta Family Day Home Agency registered with the Alberta Family Child Care Association.

Level 2 Early Childhood Educator

You will be eligible to receive Level 2 Early Childhood Educator certification upon completion of either:

• a 1-year early learning and child care certificate program offered by an Alberta college or university; or
• an approved educational equivalency

Approved educational equivalencies recognized for Level 2 Early Childhood Educator certification:

• Disability Studies: 2-year diploma
• Educational Assistant: 2-year diploma
• Bachelor of Science in human ecology: 4-year degree with a major in family ecology
• Kinesiology: 4-year Bachelor degree (B.Kin.) or 2-year Kinesiology diploma
• Community Rehabilitation: 4-year degree or Rehabilitation Assistant 2- year diploma
• Therapeutic Recreation: 2-year diploma or 4-year degree
• Social Work: 2-year diploma

Level 3 Early Childhood Educator

You will be eligible to receive Level 3 Early Childhood Educator certification upon completion of either:

• a 2-year early learning and child care diploma program offered by an Alberta college or university; or
• an approved educational equivalency

Approved educational equivalencies recognized for Level 3 Early Childhood Educator certification:

• Alberta Teaching Certificate
• Bachelor of Child Studies: 4-year degree
• Bachelor of Education: 4-year degree or 2-year after degree
• Child and Youth care: 4-year degree or 2-year diploma
• Bachelor of Social Work: 4-year degree

A Coursework Equivalency is available for individuals who have completed related coursework but have not received an educational credential. Courses are assessed against the content and hours from Alberta ELCC certificate and diploma programs for Level 1 and 2 Early Childhood Educator certification. 

*Children's Services website - April 25, 2022 (Child Care Staff Certification Guide (April 2022))

Early childhood professionals certified in another province are eligible for certification in Alberta without another formal assessment of the person’s educational credentials.

To apply for Alberta certification under this equivalency, submit the following:

• A completed Application for Child Care Staff Certification
• A copy of personal identification that includes your birth date and signature
• Your original provincial certificate (B.C. and Ontario applicants may provide copies)

*Children's Services website - February 10, 2021 (Child Care Staff Certification Guide (February 2021))

Education that has been completed outside of Canada may be recognized for certification; however, additional documents may be required. Before you apply, read the Certification Guide for Early Childhood Educators to make sure you are eligible and understand all the steps. The guide includes information about the educational and language proficiency requirements. Once you have read the guide, apply online using a computer, tablet or mobile phone through the Early Childhood Educator Certification Application. 

If you are eligible for Level 2 or 3 certification, you must arrange for your official transcripts to be sent directly from your educational institution to the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office. You may send a copy of the transcript to be temporarily certified as a Level 1 Early Childhood Educator, if eligible. The certification level will be changed once the official transcripts have been received directly from the institution and have been assessed as meeting the educational training requirements for Level 2 or Level 3 certification. If your education was completed outside of Canada, refer to the Certification Guide for Early Childhood Educators to determine if you require a language proficiency assessment or other additional documents. If you need help or have questions about using the Early Childhood Educator Certification online application, call the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office at 1-800-661-9754. *Children's Services website - April 25, 2022 (Child Care Staff Certification Guide (April 2022))

The professional development grant funding is for ECEs who are paid employees or contracted family day home educators of eligible child care programs who:

•  Provide direct child care, including as program supervisors (as defined in the Early Learning and Child Care Regulation), as well as individuals hired by licensed family day home agencies as agency coordinators or home visitors/consultants
•  Are certified as Early Childhood Educators, Level 1, 2 or 3
•  Are Canadian citizens or official Permanent Residents of Canada
•  Have worked at least 29 hours in at least one month from the date of the expenditure or the date the application was received
•  Have submitted a Professional Development Funding Request Form from https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-child-caregrant-funding-program.aspx and made a payment for the course, workshop, or conference within the same fiscal year (April to March)

The following staff are not eligible for professional development funding:

• Those who are not paid employees or contracted family day home educators of eligible child care programs, including volunteers and program owners/operators who do not draw a wage/salary;
• Individuals, including owners and operators, whose minimum monthly hours required to be eligible for the professional development funding do not fall under the eligible hours for wage top-up category;
• Individuals that are not Canadian citizens nor hold official Canadian permanent resident status;
• Individuals whose income is funded by another program such as Program Unit Funding through Alberta Education, therapists and assistants paid through other organizations;
• Cooks, cleaners, accountants, receptionists and other support staff when not providing direct child care; and
• Individuals who were not certified by the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office.

Step 1: Review the program guide

Details about eligibility, application process and requirements are included in the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Guide. Read the guide before applying.

Step 2: Log into the Child Care Licensing Portal account to request, review and sign the grant agreement

An individual with official signing authority for the child care program must have an account in the Child Care Licensing portal to review and sign the grant agreement.

For instructions on how to create a new account or log into an existing account refer to the Child Care Licensing Portal – Operator Login Guide.

For instructions on how to access and sign the grant agreement for wage top-up and professional development funding refer to the Child Care Licensing Portal– Signing Wage Top-up & PD Grant Agreements

The approved professional development funding payment will be part of the overall child care program deposit when the next monthly claim is processed. The ECE name and professional development funding payment amount (including the release time grant, if approved) will be reflected on the monthly payment summary statement.

Step 3: Submit a Professional Development Funding Request form to the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Program.

The form is available online at https://cfr.forms.gov.ab.ca/Form/CDEV12397.pdf. In order to complete the form, you must download and edit it in an external application (it will not open in the web browser version of Adobe).

If you have questions about submitting your monthly claim or the payments received, you can call the Alberta Child Care Claims Unit at 1-855-638-6121 or email cs.childcareclaims@gov.ab.ca. For more information, visit https://www.alberta.ca/online-child-care-claims-system.aspx.

The program must comply with all the terms set out in the grant agreement that was signed between the grant recipient and the Minister, which includes the content contained in this funding guide.

All child care programs that receive grant funding must maintain required attendance records, receipts, and financial/payroll records to support all funding payments relating to wage top-ups and professional development (and the release time grant, if applicable). Programs are subject to selected or random audits by the Government of Alberta. If a program falsely obtains funds, fails to provide required documentation, or fails to report funding not paid to ECEs, the amount will be adjusted accordingly through the claims payment process. Eligibility for ongoing funding may be terminated.

Failure to comply with the terms set out in the agreement and this funding guide may result in the recovery of the funding.

• The program must retain a copy of its submitted professional development funding request form, and all receipts supporting the professional development grant payments made to the program.
• Receipts must indicate the same expenditure that was claimed and must match the ECE’s or program’s name, amount of payment and payment date as was submitted on the professional development funding request form.
• Any funding that is paid without supporting receipts, not transferred to the ECE, or not used as approved on the professional development funding request form, must be reported using the program funding adjustment form at alberta.ca/online-child-care-claims-system.aspx.
• The professional development grant is not taxable.
• If programs receive the release time grant payments:
  • The release time funding is paid to programs as a grant but when the program transfers this funding to their ECE employee, payments fall under the definition of “wage” in Alberta’s Employment Standards Code. As such, the program must administer this funding as a wage in accordance with all applicable legislation.
  • According to the Alberta Employment Standards Code, employers must pay at least the minimum wage. They must also pay to ECE the legislated vacation and general holiday pay on both the employee’s base wage and the wage covered through the release time grant funding. Information about the Employment Standards Code is available at www.alberta.ca/employment-standards.aspx.
  • The employer is also responsible to pay the legislated premiums on the wage covered through the release time grant that includes Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, and Worker’s Compensation Board premiums.
  • For licensed family day home agencies, the release time grant paid to family day home educators must be identified as income and administered according to all applicable legislation.
  • Programs must reflect the release time grant funding payments as a provincial government contribution on paystubs.
  • Programs must report any unused or incorrectly reported funding using the program funding adjustment form.

Professional development funding helps offset tuition fees and required course textbooks for approved post-secondary coursework. For educators certified as an Early Childhood Educator Level 1 or 2, this coursework should lead to a higher level of certification. For those at Level 3, this coursework should strengthen leadership, management, pedagogical leadership, administration, and early childhood education skills and knowledge.

Professional development funding may also be used to offset the cost of tuition fees, conference and workshop fees related to early learning and child care that have been approved by the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Program. Please email the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Program at cs.childcarefunding@gov.ab.ca to find out whether the course/conference/workshop you are interested in is eligible for professional development funding.

Professional development funding may not be requested if another grant or bursary has been awarded for the same purpose.

Expenses not covered by professional development:

• Accommodations, meals, alcohol, and travel costs
• Additional fees charged by an educational institution
• Non-approved courses, workshops or conferences (i.e., those not related to child development or not approved by the Alberta Child Care Grant Funding Program)
• Language proficiency assessments (CELPIP/IELTS)
• English as a Second Language coursework
• First-Aid training and food safety courses
• Resource books and materials not part of registered coursework

Professional development funding may not be requested if another grant or bursary has been awarded for the same purpose.

• The professional development balance resets every year on April 1. Any unused funding is not transferrable to the next fiscal year.
• Unused professional development funds are not transferable from one ECE to another.
• The expense for professional development is applied to the fiscal year in which the payment was made (not the date the service/product was received or the date the course/conference/workshop was taken or completed).
• The Professional Development Funding Request Form must be submitted within the fiscal year (April 1 to March 31) in which the expenditure was made (date paid) by the person or program.
• The deadline for submitting the Professional Development Funding Request Form is March 31 for all expenditures paid within the same fiscal year (April to March).

No, this reimbursement is NOT LINKED to the Release Time Grant offered by Children and Family Services. The hours DO NOT count towards the hours of the Release Time Funding grant, and reimbursement will come from AECEA, not from Children and Family Services.

If you have successfully completed the Brain Story Certification course after February 25th, 2022, you can fill out the form here. Once you have completed and submitted this form, AECEA will review your application. When approved, AECEA will send this reimbursement to your program who will then distribute the funds to you. An electronic funds transfer (EFT) form will need to be submitted in the name of the organization.

All individuals who have previously completed the Brain Story Certification course can go back to the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative website and login to review the content. If you do not have this log-in information, please contact the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative directly to regain access. 

When filling out this form, you must upload your certificate of completion that shows a date of completion anytime between February 25, 2022 and March 31, 2024. If you have completed this certification outside of this timeframe you are not eligible to receive this funding but are welcome to participate in Part 2: Theory-to-Practice sessions. 
Note, you must hold an early childhood educator certificate (Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3) and be employed at a licensed and approved program to be eligible for funding. 

Yes, the reimbursement you receive for completing the Brain Story course ($17.50 x 20 hours) is taxable income as it is considered wages. AECEA sends the amount to your program and it should be paid through your payroll.