EDMONTON — Alberta's auditor general says the province isn't verifying that daycares getting public funding are using the money to lower fees for parents or to top up staff wages as required.
A report from Doug Wylie says without verifying claims submitted by daycares, Alberta could be overcompensating operators.
The report says a review of documents submitted by daycares found inaccurate reporting more than half the time, including an instance that led Alberta to overpay one daycare $26,000 in a month.
The funds come from Alberta's multi-year agreement with Ottawa to lower daycare fees to an average of $10 per day by subsidizing operating costs for eligible daycares.
Diana Batten, the Opposition NDP's children and family services critic, says without having proper checks and balances the United Conservative Party government isn't meeting its commitment to lower fees for parents.
The report says Alberta spent more than $1 billion on daycare subsidies in 2023-2024.
The office for Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025.
Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
