Alberta Child Care Subsidy · Affordability Grant

Funding,
made simple.

Whether your child is in kindergarten or Grades 1 to 6, Alberta helps cover TOPP KIDS fees — two different programs, one simple guide. Pick your path below and we’ll walk you through it.

Find your funding See our fees

Grades 1–6 · Subsidy💛 Kindergarten · Grant

First things first — what grade is your child in?

Alberta funds kindergarten and Grades 1–6 through two completely different programs. Tap yours:

How it works, in four steps

One application, then the subsidy flows straight to TOPP KIDS on your behalf.

Apply online

Sign in with a MyAlberta Digital ID and apply at alberta.ca — ideally at least one month before care starts. Most applications process in about 3–6 weeks.

Get approved

Eligible families may receive a conditional 2-month subsidy while the full assessment wraps up. The subsidy is paid directly to your licensed program — not to you.

Send us your letter

Email your Subsidy Approval Letter to registrations@toppkids.com the moment it arrives — the government doesn’t send it to us automatically.

Fees adjust

Your monthly TOPP KIDS billing reflects the subsidy, and you simply cover the difference between the subsidy and the full fee.

What could your subsidy be?

Pick your family’s gross annual income and see the government’s maximum monthly rate for Grades 1–6.

Total family income (before tax)

GRADES 1–6 (50+ HOURS/MONTH)

$366

maximum per month

Families at $90,000 and above aren’t eligible for the Grades 1–6 subsidy — but check out our Financial Assistance options.

These are the Government of Alberta’s maximum monthly rates. Your exact amount is set by the government’s assessment of income, program type, and monthly attendance hours. Children must attend at least 50 hours in the month to receive the maximum rate. Need care before 6am, after 6pm, or on weekends? An extended-hours subsidy can add up to $100/month per child (minimum 4 extended-care hours monthly).

Family income	Grades 1–6 maximum subsidy (50+ hrs/month)
$0 to $49,999	$366
$50,000 to $54,999	$348
$55,000 to $59,999	$311
$60,000 to $64,999	$275
$65,000 to $69,999	$238
$70,000 to $74,999	$201
$75,000 to $79,999	$165
$80,000 to $84,999	$128
$85,000 to $89,999	$92

A TOPP KIDS educator helping children with a colourful craft project

Helping hands, every single day!

Are you eligible?

You’ll need to tick every box on the government’s checklist:

You, your partner, or the child receiving care are Canadian citizens or permanent residents (protected persons and some temporary residents with valid permits may also qualify)

You or your spouse/partner live in Alberta

You and your spouse/partner are working, looking for work, attending school, or you or your child have special needs

Your child is in Grades 1 to 6 — and not yet in Grade 7

Your child has a secured spot in a licensed program — every TOPP KIDS club qualifies

Your total family income is under $90,000 per year

How the government counts your incomeLine 15000 (gross income) from your most recent CRA Notice of Assessment, minus education deductions (Line 32000) and medical deductions (Lines 33099 and 33199) — combined for you and your spouse or partner. If your income recently dropped, or you weren’t required to file a Canadian return, you can ask to be assessed on current income estimates instead.

Ways to apply

Online is fastest by far — paper works too.

Online (recommended)Create a MyAlberta Digital ID, then apply at alberta.ca by adding your child or children. Afterwards, complete the CRA Consent Applicant Declaration form — print, sign by hand, and mail it in. Questions? Alberta Supports: 1-877-644-9992.

Paper applicationFill out the Application for Child Care Subsidy form digitally, print, date and sign by hand, and mail it to the Child Care Subsidy office. Paper applications take noticeably longer than online ones.

Special-needs reason for careIf your reason for care is your own or your child’s special need, also submit the Verification of Need for Child Care form, completed mostly by an authorized professional such as a doctor or psychiatrist.

Child Care Subsidy office

P.O. Box 1641, Station M, Edmonton AB T5J 2N9
css.childsubsidy@gov.ab.ca · Fax: 780-422-5692

After you apply

While you waitProcessing takes a few weeks. If you meet certain conditions, a conditional 2-month subsidy can start right away while the assessment finishes — and you may be asked for extra information along the way.

If you’re approvedThe subsidy goes directly to TOPP KIDS on your behalf, and your billing covers just the difference. Watch for your Subsidy Approval Letter — that’s your golden ticket, and we need a copy.

If you’re not approvedYou’ll receive a letter explaining why, and you can request a review within 30 days using the Administrative Review Request form, mailed to the Child Care Subsidy office.

The one thing families forget

The government does not send your approval to TOPP KIDS. Email your Subsidy Approval Letter to registrations@toppkids.com as soon as it arrives — before your first billing date — so your fees are debited correctly from day one. If approval isn’t in the claims system by your billing date, the full fee is charged for the first month and credited once it’s received and processed.

Life changes? Tell the government

Report any of these in the same month they happen — online or with a Change of Information form:

Your reason for care changes — e.g. no longer working (you may still receive up to 4 months of subsidy while job-hunting) or no longer attending school

Your annual income goes down — or up — enough to affect your benefits

Child care arrangements change: adding a child, removing a child, or switching programs

Your marital status changes

Your address or telephone number changes

An applicant, co-applicant, or dependent’s name changes

A TOPP KIDS educator high-fiving a line of happy kids on the field

High-fives all around!

Kindergarten funding, in three beats

If your child’s school runs half-day kindergarten, KindiClub covers the other half of the day — funded by Alberta’s Affordability Grant, a completely different system from the subsidy.

Alberta funds TOPP KIDS directly

The Affordability Grant is an operating grant paid monthly to licensed programs like ours, covering staffing, facilities, and programming costs so parent fees can drop.

Nothing to apply for

Unlike the subsidy, there’s no parent application and no income test. If your child is in KindiClub, the funding is automatic — the government even retired the old kindergarten subsidy in March 2025.

You pay one flat fee

Full-time care (100+ registered hours a month) is a flat $326.25 per month, set by the province — the same at every funded program in Alberta.

A TOPP KIDS educator reading a picture book to kindergarten children on the alphabet carpet

Story time smiles!

The KindiClub math

Here’s exactly how the grant lands on your monthly bill:

Full-time KindiClub child care fee$1,147.50/month

Alberta Affordability Grant– $821.25

You pay$326.25/month

Alberta’s flat parent fees: $326.25/month for full-time care (100+ registered hours) and $230/month for part-time care (50–99 hours) where offered. Children registered under 50 hours a month aren’t grant-funded. The grant isn’t income-based — every KindiClub family pays the same flat fee.

Good to know about the grant

For kindergarten students whose school runs half-day kindergarten — KindiClub provides licensed care for the other half of the school day, and the grant funds it

It’s paid to the program, not to parents — you’ll simply see the reduced flat fee on your bill

No income test and no paperwork — unlike the Grades 1–6 subsidy

Available only at TOPP KIDS programs that offer KindiClubs

The grant applies to kindergarten children in KindiClub care only — before-and-after-school-only care and drop-ins aren’t grant-eligible

In full-day kindergarten at school? Those students aren’t grant-eligible — they fall under the Child Care Subsidy system instead (switch to the subsidy path above)

See it on our fee chart

The $326.25 KindiClub rate — grant math included — lives on our Fees page, right beside every other program price. Questions about your bill? registrations@toppkids.com.

Kindergarten children building a block tower with their TOPP KIDS educator

Building big ideas!

Two programs, one familyGrades 1–6 families use the income-based Child Care Subsidy; kindergarten families use the automatic Affordability Grant. Picked the wrong path? Switch anytime with the toggle above, and see every price on our Fees page.

New to Canada?Protected persons, refugee claimants, and temporary residents with valid work or study permits may qualify for subsidy. Alberta Supports can walk you through it: 1-877-644-9992.

Talk it throughregistrations@toppkids.com · (403) 452-TOPP (8677) · Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm. All fee and subsidy questions go through our Head Office rather than individual program sites.