Local service guide
Choosing childcare in Calgary: Fees and Pickup
To arrange childcare in Calgary, match your child’s age, required hours and school journeys to a provider, then verify licensing, funding participation and the complete written fee. Alberta publishes funded daycare and family day-home parent fees of $326.25 monthly for full-time care and $230 for part-time care, subject to eligibility. Visit before committing. [2] [3]
Choose care around your required schedule
Write down your earliest drop-off, latest pickup, start date and required days. Include travel between care, work and school. For siblings, decide whether you need one location. Alberta recommends comparing programs by age, setting, hours and proximity to home, work or school. [2]
Search Alberta’s Childcare Search by postal code, age group and program type. It lists licensed programs and family day home agencies, extended or overnight services, and compliance history. Contact providers to confirm vacancies for your schedule; contact agencies to find individual family day homes. [2]
For a nanny or sitter, describe the schedule, children, school journeys and household duties in writing. Request references and discuss first aid with CPR, emergency contacts and backup care. Agree on who can collect your child and how the caregiver will reach you during a delay.
Confirm funded fees and the complete bill
Alberta publishes monthly parent fees of $326.25 for 100 or more hours and $230 for 50 to 99 hours at eligible licensed daycares and family day homes receiving affordability funding. Kindergarten-age children must attend childcare during school hours. Children attending full-time kindergarten and older children do not qualify for these flat fees. [3]
The provincial page contains conflicting wording at exactly 50 hours: its general eligibility criteria require more than 50 registered hours monthly, while its part-time schedule includes 50 to 99 hours and its exclusions specify fewer than 50. If you plan to book exactly 50 hours, confirm eligibility with the provider or Childcare Connect before budgeting around $230. [3]
Ask for a written breakdown of the parent fee and optional charges. Alberta permits voluntary extra services such as meals, transportation, supplies and extended hours. Ask how the provider will accommodate your child if you decline a service. Compare quotes using the same hours, meals and transport. [3]
Out-of-school care providers set their fees, and this care does not qualify for affordability funding. Eligible families with children in full-time kindergarten through Grade 6 may receive school-age subsidy. Alberta determines the amount using income, grade, care setting and attendance, alongside other eligibility requirements. [3] [4]
Check the applicable licence and safety records
Calgary’s municipal private home-based category covers temporary care for six or fewer children under 13, excluding the operator’s children, for more than six hours weekly and periods under 24 consecutive hours. Ask whether the provider operates under this City licence or through a provincially licensed family day home agency. [1]
For its private home-based licence, Calgary requires location approval, police checks with a vulnerable sector search, and first aid with CPR. Providers must supply first aid certification for themselves and any employee. City business licences expire one year after issuance. Request the current licence and check certificate dates. [1]
Alberta’s Find childcare page identifies routes to educator certification checks, health inspections, administrative penalties, stop orders and public notices. Discuss any finding with the provider and ask what they changed. Childcare Connect can also check whether an unlicensed provider received a stop order in the past 24 months. [2]
During your visit, discuss allergies, medication, sleep, outdoor play and behaviour guidance. Ask who supervises during caregiver absences and how staff communicate with parents. Explain any accessibility or support needs and ask how the provider would support your child’s routine.
Resolve school transportation before committing
For CBE yellow-bus eligibility, students must attend their designated regular or alternative program school, live outside its walk zone based on their primary address, and have no assignment to Calgary Transit. CBE directs families in specialized programs to separate transportation guidance. It lists kindergarten transportation as one-way, so confirm who handles the other journey. [5]
CBE permits requests for one additional transportation address within the school’s attendance area and outside its walk zone. It does not guarantee a stop at the exact address. Its published procedure requires primary-address transportation registration by the deadline and payment of the assigned fee before an alternate-address request through MyCBE. [5]
The June 14, 2026 registration deadline has passed. CBE accepts late transportation registrations but warns of possible delayed activation. Its page does not establish whether late registrants can obtain alternate-address service. Confirm this with CBE Transportation before relying on approval or the published six-week decision notification period. [5]
Agree with the caregiver on the pickup person, meeting point, permissions and response to a missed bus. Keep backup transport until you have approval and a workable handoff. Include school breaks and non-instructional days in the care agreement.
Published monthly parent fees for eligible funded care
Local details that affect your job
Calgary private day-home verification
Use the City’s Business Licence Map to look for an active municipal private home-based childcare licence. Calgary exempts nannies employed in the family’s home, casual babysitting and informal arrangements with family, friends or neighbours from this licence requirement. Identify the care arrangement before requesting credentials. [1]
CBE alternate-address cost and late applications
CBE lists a $100 alternate-address fee for 2026–2027, in addition to the basic transportation fee. Its procedure requires primary registration by June 14, 2026 and payment of the assigned fee. That deadline has passed. Late applicants should confirm alternate-address eligibility and review timing with CBE Transportation at 403-817-7433 before choosing care that depends on this service. [5]
Alberta school-age subsidy timing
Families can apply as early as the month before care starts. Alberta requires a secured eligible care spot, family income below $90,000 and other eligibility conditions. Subsidy cannot begin before the month the province receives the completed application. Prepare your application alongside the care agreement. [4]
Match your care arrangement to the next check
| Arrangement | Fee or oversight distinction | Before committing |
|---|---|---|
| Funded daycare | Eligible full-time parent fee: $326.25 monthly | Confirm funding, child eligibility and optional charges |
| Agency-overseen family day home | Eligible funded homes use the provincial flat parent fees | Contact the licensed agency to verify the individual home |
| Municipal private day home | Qualifying businesses need Calgary licensing and location approval | Check the active City licence and request a fee quote |
| Out-of-school care | Provider fees; eligible families may receive school-age subsidy | Confirm school journeys, attendance and subsidy eligibility |
| Nanny in your home | Directly employed nannies are exempt from this City business licence | Agree on screening, duties, pay and backup care |
Your hiring checklist
- Record your child’s age, start date, days and required hours.
- Confirm a vacancy for the exact schedule.
- Request the applicable licence or family day home agency details.
- Review compliance records and discuss any findings.
- Visit and discuss supervision, support needs and emergency procedures.
- Request a complete fee breakdown and confirm funding eligibility.
- Confirm school journeys, handoffs and backup transport.
- Read deposit, withdrawal, refund and closure terms before signing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every licensed provider charge the flat parent fee?
No. The provider must receive affordability funding, and your child must meet eligibility rules. Confirm participation, age and monthly hours. For exactly 50 hours, ask the provider or Childcare Connect to resolve the provincial page’s conflicting eligibility wording. [3]
How do I find an individual family day home?
Alberta’s Childcare Search lists licensed family day home agencies. Contact an agency for individual homes, then confirm the specific home’s location, vacancy, hours and agency oversight. [2]
Can a CBE school bus drop my child at childcare?
CBE considers one alternate address subject to location restrictions and approval. Its procedure requires primary registration by the deadline and payment. Since June 14, 2026 has passed, late applicants should confirm alternate-address eligibility with CBE Transportation before relying on service or the six-week notification period. [5]
Where can I ask about fees or safety concerns?
Childcare Connect offers a free helpline at 1-844-644-5165 for care options, optional fees, past stop orders and concerns involving childcare programs. [2]
Sources and scope
This guide combines the sources below with practical planning guidance. Figures apply to the stated geography and period; request a written quote for your property.