SAC-Alberta will advocate for robust funding and comprehensive support systems to ensure children in Alberta have uninterrupted access to communication health services. This includes maintaining and strengthening programs such as Program Unit Funding (PUF) and Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD), while promoting wrap-around services that address all communication needs effectively.
Alberta has recently launched a new $3.3 million bursary program to support the province’s early childhood education (ECE) workforce. Over the next three years, up to 300 one-time bursaries of $10,000 each will be awarded to eligible students enrolled in approved early learning and childcare certificate programs at 20 participating post-secondary institutions. The bursaries are intended to help cover tuition, books, and living expenses.
The provincial announcement highlighted the need for a skilled workforce to deliver high-quality care for families, and this investment builds on five years of targeted support that have increased the number of ECEs in Alberta by over 13,000 since 2021. The initiative is part of the Canada-Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which includes a commitment to expanding Alberta’s ECE workforce.
SAC encourages members to engage with this initiative by exploring opportunities for collaboration with educators, advocating for communication health training within ECE programs, and monitoring workforce developments that could affect service delivery. By strengthening the ECE workforce, this investment also creates a strategic opportunity to enhance early identification and support for children with speech, language, and hearing needs across the province.
PUF is one of the primary funding sources for Albertan children to receive educational supports, including access to speech-language pathologists and educational audiologists. SAC will advocate for sufficient funding as well as wraparound services to ensure communication health needs are addressed effectively and there are no gaps in service access.
