EvalByte: Alberta Compensation Framework Project

EvalByte
Alberta Compensation Framework Project
Written by Mary-Frances Smith, Miranda Brown, and Abhiroop Saha (Research Assistants)
What is the context of the project?
In Alberta, the early childhood educator (ECE) sector is
predominantly female, historically undervalued, and is
experiencing high turnover. The federal and provincial
government’s announcement of the Canada-Alberta Agreement,
which aims to reduce the price of child care to an average of
$10 per day (GoC, 2021), has opened a policy window for ECEs
to advocate for fair compensation, greater recognition of their
value, and a more professionalized sector.
Over the past year, a post-graduate research team has been
conducting community-engaged, qualitative research on a
compensation framework for ECEs in Alberta. The aim was to
create a wage grid recommendation that focuses on
professionalizing the workforce and on valuing ECEs for their
education, training, and experience. The project has been taking
place in partnership with the Association of Early Childhood
Educators of Alberta (AECEA). The research team is supported
by the ECN, the Community-University Partnership (CUP), and
the Edmonton Council of Early Learning and Care (ECELC).
Key points
THE PROVINCIAL-FEDERAL CHILD
CARE AGREEMENT OPENED THE
DOOR TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE
RECOGNIZED EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATORS (ECES)
AN ALBERTA COMPENSATION
FRAMEWORK WITH A WAGE GRID
RECOMMENDATION FOR ECES
WAS CREATED
THE FRAMEWORK OUTLINES NON-
SALARIED COMPENSATION SUCH
AS BENEFITS AND PENSIONS
NEXT STEPS: INTERVIEWS AND
FOCUS GROUPS WITH ECES AND
DAYCARE OWNERS/OPERATORS
TO UNDERSTAND POTENTIAL
IMPACT OF THE WAGE GRID AND
BARRIERS TO ADOPTING IT
Who is AECEA?
Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta (AECEA) is
a non-profit, member-based society aimed at transforming early
learning and child care into a recognized profession. AECEA
regularly communicates with all levels of government and
March 2023

continues to advocate for ECEs to ensure they are
a priority in all funding decisions. Its vision is to
ensure that well-qualified, well-compensated ECEs
are respected as professionals, valued for their
work, and supported in providing high-quality child
care for Alberta’s children and families.
What is the project working
on?
Throughout 2022, the research team performed a
literature review, environmental scan, and
consulted with child care associations across
Canada as they conceptualized a wage grid that is
directly responsive to the sector’s needs and
concerns. Learn more about past research in the
March and August 2022 editions.
The research team meanwhile developed a
compensation framework which contains three
elements:
1. A compensation philosophy
2. A target wage grid recommendation with levels
that account for certification, and grades that
account for experience and tenure
3. Non-salaried compensation, i.e., indirect
monetary benefits to ECEs, such as a pension,
benefits, personal leaves, and profit sharing
The wage grid recommendation contains the target
wages that all ECEs in Alberta should expect to
earn if their education and experiences are
accounted for. Read the full report here.
As the initial research is completed, the research
team will reach out to ECEs and child care owners/
operators to hear their thoughts about the wage
grid recommendation. Interviews and focus groups
will garner feedback that will assist in finalizing a
wage grid. Community partners want to
understand the impact of the wage grid on ECEs,
whether the values align with their needs, and
how the compensation framework can be
adjusted to serve them better. Additionally,
engagement with owners and operators will
explore what roadblocks they see and their
suggestions to ensure the wage grid is endorsed,
funded, and used.
Why is the project
meaningful?
This project created Alberta’s first wage grid
recommendation for ECEs. The hope is that it will
build an understanding of (1) fair compensation
for ECEs in Alberta, (2) how non-salaried
compensation supports workforce stability, and
(3) what ECEs need and how meeting the needs
leads to workforce stability. With nearly 20,000
ECEs throughout Alberta, the wage grid is a
necessary tool to stabilize the workforce, and
thus increase quality of care of children. As the
Canada-Alberta Agreement continues to expand,
the number of ECEs will need to increase by
approximately 9,000. Achieving this target
requires a holistic compensation framework that
values ECEs for the important work they perform.
Resources
AECEA News Release: Alberta and Canada
sign child-care agreement
The Alberta Compensation Framework
Report: ECE Wage Grid Recommendations
Reference
GoC. (2021, November 15). $10-a-day child care for families in Alberta. Government of Canada, Prime Minister’s Office. https://pm.gc.ca
/en/news/news-releases/2021/11/15/10-day-child-care-families-alberta
Acknowledgment
We thank AECEA, CUP, and ECELC for their continuing guidance and support in developing a compensation framework for ECEs.
March 2023

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