KinderCare pilot program catching on at city schools

By Lethbridge Herald on April 24, 2025.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

Because the Lethbridge School Division believes the first few years of a child’s life are critical in terms of development, the board of trustees has supported the introduction of a KinderCare pilot program as part of the 2024-25 operating budget.

KinderCare gives students the option to participate in a full day of programming, rather than the traditional half day for a monthly fee. Eligible students can access transportation and, in many cases, can ride the bus with their older siblings.

Board chair Christine Light says that research indicates early learners benefit greatly from accessing day-long, play-based programming, and for this year the Division created two pilot KinderCare programs, at Senator Buchanan Elementary School and Nicholas Sheran Elementary School and they are thrilled to be entering their second year of KinderCare at both schools as they had a very successful first year.

“The board believes that investment in early learning is fundamental to student success, and data supports all learners to be benefactors of early learning opportunities, inclusive of all learning needs,” says Light. 

She adds that current research shows that if students are not on track by the end of first grade, it is very difficult to catch them up.

“This is not how we as a division want our kids to begin their education experience and we believe that investment in this small window of time leads to significant positive impact for the future.”

Light says the KinderCare schedule aligns with the schedules of working parents, guardians and older siblings, presenting fewer transitions, and helps children build a strong foundation of literacy and numeracy skills. 

“We have seen and heard that mid-day pick-ups and drop-offs are challenging for many to navigate,” she says.

The goal is to eliminate some of barriers families may have with half-day programming, by offering a lower-cost alternative to day care. 

There is a $250 monthly fee for students to be able to enroll in the full day programming through KinderCare, because the provincial government only funds half-day programming.

“As a division, we have been advocating for fully funded all-day kindergarten programming, because we see the benefits of that for students, both in the short term and the long term,” says Light. 

In comparison to the $326 flat rate daycare fee that is now implemented throughout the province for families to pay monthly, the $250 monthly fee for full day programming kindergarten is a competitive rate. 

“This allows families to choose education over childcare if they wish to do so, based on what is best for their families,” says Light. 

For families that wish to apply for the program but do not live within the school boundaries of either Senator Buchanan or Nicholas Sheran, their policy allows for parents to apply outside of those boundaries as long as there is room in the program. 

When talking to teachers from the KinderCare program, Light says the feedback shows that their students were better prepared for Grade 1, and they had more time to engage in a greater variety of activities.

“It also supported greater independence as students had more opportunities for social development and learning as well as access to supports like speech and language services, physical and occupational therapy and school family liaison services,” says Light. 

The division is now seeking expressions of interest from parents of kindergarten-aged students for 2025/2026 at these schools. The number of spots available at the two school sites will be based on the budget allocated from Alberta Education, along with the level of interest from parents.