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.
• 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. Student members receive all the same perks as professional members.
• 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.

• Student Membership
  • Membership with AECEA is free for full-time students enrolled in publicly funded post-secondary ECE programs in Alberta.
  • Part-time students or students enrolled in non-ECE programs pay a reduced membership fee of $50 + GST per year.
• Associate Membership
  • Annual fees for associate members are $125 + GST.
• Professional Membership:
  • 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.

Organizations or groups that would like to complete a bulk membership purchase can purchase professional and associate memberships for $110 + GST/year (must purchase at least 10 memberships at once). Find more information on bulk membership purchases here.

• 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 Imagine Institute for Learning (formerly ECDSS) workshops
• 20% off personal tax returns through UFile
• Up to 30% off home and auto insurance through The Co-Operators
• 30% off yearly Institute of Child Psychology membership
• Free Scholars Choice membership
• NEW! Access to Hub Digital Marketplace

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)
  • $30 off T2 tax filing through UFile
  • Access to Econocoop, a group buying platform for early learning and child care programs
  • Free Scholars Choice membership
  • NEW! Access to HR Covered perks:
    
    • Get free access to over 1,000 up-to-date HR documents and policies. 
    • Get a FREE, compliant policy manual for your organization. 
    • Catch up on the hottest HR topics with their webinars.

There are three certification levels in Alberta:

• Level 1 Early Childhood Educator (formerly Child Development Assistant)
• Level 2 Early Childhood Educator (formerly Child Development Worker)
• Level 3 Early Childhood Educator (formerly Child Development Supervisor)

*Accurate as of June 20, 2025. AECEA makes every effort to ensure this information is up to date. Please consult original documentation to confirm accuracy*

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 eligibility for one of the three child care staff certification levels.

For more information, see the Certification Guide for Early Childhood Educators.

*Accurate as of June 20, 2025. AECEA makes every effort to ensure this information is up to date. Please consult original documentation to confirm accuracy*

*Accurate as of June 20, 2025. AECEA makes every effort to ensure this information is up to date. Please consult original documentation to confirm accuracy*

Individuals who have completed related coursework but have not received an educational credential may be assessed by the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office relative to the content and hours from Alberta Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) certificate and diploma programs. Please see Appendix C of the Certification Guide for Early Childhood Educators for further information.

*Accurate as of June 20, 2025. AECEA makes every effort to ensure this information is up to date. Please consult original documentation to confirm accuracy*

An approved language proficiency assessment is required for certification as Level 2 ECE or Level 3 ECE 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 following countries have been identified as providing instruction in English or French throughout all levels of schooling. If an individual’s education was completed in a country NOT LISTED below, a language proficiency assessment IS REQUIRED.

Language proficiency assessments accepted for certification: 

• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General. Level 7 must be achieved in all areas (reading, writing, listening and speaking) within the same exam results.
  • Website: www.celpip.ca
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General. A score of six must be achieved in all areas (reading, writing, listening and speaking) within the same exam results.
  • Website: www.ielts.org

*Accurate as of June 20, 2025. AECEA makes every effort to ensure this information is up to date. Please consult original documentation to confirm accuracy*

Early childhood professionals certified in another province or territory are eligible for certification in Alberta. They do not require another formal assessment of educational credentials. The following table lists the equivalencies for certification in Alberta.

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

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

*Accurate as of June 20, 2025. AECEA makes every effort to ensure this information is up to date. Please consult original documentation to confirm accuracy*

Education received outside of Canada may make an individual eligible for Level 1, 2 or 3 ECE certification.

To determine an individual’s level of ECE certification, the following documents may be required:

• Official post-secondary (higher education) transcripts, or verified copies of mark sheets and graduation certificates, must be sent directly from the educational institution where the applicant’s education was completed to the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office.
  • These documents must be sent directly from the educational institution via regular mail, email or using their online transcription to the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office. Transcripts sent by a relative or friend will not be accepted. Do not send transcripts to AECEA.
• English language proficiency assessment.
• English translation of transcripts. For official transcripts issued in languages other than English or French, once the transcripts are sent from the educational institution the applicant attended to the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office, the office will send the applicant a photocopy for translating into English by a certificated translator.

*Accurate as of June 20, 2025. AECEA makes every effort to ensure this information is up to date. Please consult original documentation to confirm accuracy*

The Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Lookup tool increases oversight and transparency in the early learning and child care sector in Alberta, which enhances families’, employers’ and the general public’s confidence that the system protects the health and safety of children.

Under Section 14.2 of the early learning and child care regulation, the Alberta government may publish information about individuals who hold ECE certification. Once certified, an ECE’s name, certification number, level, status, date of certification, and the history of an individual’s certification, including terms or conditions, suspensions or cancellations, may be listed in the ECE Lookup tool.

Go to the ECE Lookup tool

AECEA is NOT involved in certification. If you have any questions related to certification, please contact the Alberta Child Care Staff Certification Office:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Toll free: 1-800-661-9754
Email: ece.staffcertification@gov.ab.ca

For more information on certification in Alberta, please go here for more information.

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).