On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended a press conference in Edmonton, signalling the announcement of a $10-a-day childcare for children under six.

"Parents in Edmonton and across Alberta; you get why affordable childcare matters. This past year and a half has illustrated the challenges that families face, and the need for childcare," Prime Minister Trudeau said. "It's also become very, very clear for business leaders, that childcare is not just a social program. It's about growing the economy as well."

According to Trudeau, $10 A day childcare will be a reality right across the province within five years.

"Child care fees will be cut in half for Albertan families. The province will be creating over 40,000 new spaces in early learning and childcare," Trudeau said. " I am really, really pleased to be here today with Premier Kenney and the Government of Alberta to demonstrate that on the things that matter most to citizens, on the things that matter to the people that we serve, we can get big things done."

Trudeau was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Families, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould, as well as Alberta's Premier Jason Kenney and Alberta’s Children’s Services Minister Rebecca Schulz.

Premier Kenney also spoke during the press conference, enumerating the details of what this deal will look like for Alberta's parents. 

"This agreement means bringing $3.8 billion tax dollars paid by Albertans to Ottawa, back to Albertans, to address a key priority for so many families," Premier Kenney said. "This means that parents in Alberta will see a reduction in their fees of an average of 50 per cent in early 2022 and will pay an average of $10 a day by 2025/26."

Kenney underlined that the agreement is critical because over half of childcare spaces in the province are in private childcare spaces, with the majority of those businesses being owned and operated by women.

"[This is] just one of the reasons that Alberta has the highest percentage of women-owned businesses in Canada," Kenney said. "This agreement will help to grow the economy and certainly will help to make life better for many families. It also helps in our effort to secure a fairer deal by bringing more of Albertans' tax dollars back to the province.

Alberta’s Children’s Services Minister Rebecca Schulz said the deal was 'a made in Alberta deal' that will support working parents to meet the unique needs of Alberta families, and drive economic recovery.

"I've said many times over the course of these negotiations, Alberta needs a childcare system that works for us," she said. "The majority of childcare centers are run by female entrepreneurs or their family-owned businesses working to make a living and supporting their own families while meeting the needs of their neighbours and their communities. And they not only drive innovation and quality but they provide excellent care to kids right across Alberta."

Schulz also stressed that affordability is only one thing that parents look at and that it is not always the first thing parents look at when choosing childcare, which is why this plan addresses quality and accessibility.

"Affordability and flexibility are only helpful if there are enough spaces to meet the needs of parents in places where those parents need them," Schulz said."

 Alberta will be the ninth jurisdiction to agree to enter into this agreement with the federal government. The provinces of New Brunswick, Ontario, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are still working on an agreement.