Rural Child Care Project

              PLANNING AND ORGANIZING
We began the project by designing and
distributing brochures1. The brochures
went to individual chapters of the
supporting groups and to their
newsletter editors, the Provincial
conventions of the supporting groups,
all District Home Economists offices, all
Family and Community Support Service
offices, and many Health Units,
Agricultural Societies, Church Groups
and School offices. We paid for news
releases through the Alberta Weekly
Newspaper Association and had
excellent coverage through the Western
Producer and the Alberta Farm and
Ranch magazine. Stories also appeared
Province wide in Newspapers and
magazines. Medicine Hat, Lethbridge,
Camrose and Red Deer Radio Stations
did interviews as did C. B. C. Wild Rose
Country from both Edmonton and
Calgary. We had T. V. coverage from
Red Deer, Calgary, and Edmonton.
About 130 requests for applications
were received. They were from all over
the Province and application forms
were mailed to each of them.
Application Forms
Application forms2 were deliberately
ambiguous because we wanted the
applicants to give us their ideas rather
than try to conform to what they
thought we expected. The percentage of
completed and returned applications
was approximately 30%. N o application
that met our deadline and criteria was
rejected.
Criteria
A l l projects were restricted to child care
on farms. No employee benefits were
paid and no subsidy was given to full-time
or live- in help or to help currently
under the umbrella of an existing
program. Only parents working " on
farm" were considered. Community
involvement was a consideration as
were unique approaches, sound
planning, clear objectives and details on
administration.
Care Givers' Qualifications
Care givers' qualifications were the
responsibility of the user but each was
advised that assistance in this area was
available from Alberta Family Day Care
Programs.
Subsidy-
Subsidy was paid at 65% of child care
costs to a maximum of $ 4.00 per hour
per family.
1. See Appendix 1 2- See Appendix 2
Alberta Rural Child Care Pilot Project
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