How can Alberta child care centers fill spaces without discounting fees? (Lunch & Learn)

In ChildFriendly Pro's February 2026 Lunch & Learn, child care operator Krystal Churcher said that under what she described as Alberta's $15-a-day flat fee, price no longer sets centers apart, so enrollment stability comes from trust, clarity and strong systems: adjusting intake timing rather than price, filling by age cohort, updating the waitlist monthly with expected openings and strengthening a family's first 14 days.

What the session covered

As Churcher described it, Alberta child care centers participating in the Canada-wide early learning and child care program charge families a flat parent fee of $15 a day, so almost all participating centers charge the same price. In this Director Lunch & Learn, host Krystal Churcher, a child care operator and Chair of the Association of Child Care Entrepreneurs, addressed operators facing uneven enrollment and pressure to discount fees. She cited unsourced figures showing enrollment down about 18% in Edmonton and about 13% in Calgary from the previous year, while some fast-growing communities still have hundreds of families on waitlists and other centers sit at 80% or even 45% capacity. Churcher attributed the shift to supply catching up with demand, licensed capacity exceeding staffed capacity because of labour shortages, families touring and comparing without urgency, population and employment changes, and parent expectations of flexibility at a $15-a-day price. She stated that families now choose based on confidence, that structure, predictability and boundaries have become the product, and that a center's public licensing compliance record affects enrollment decisions.

Why does discounting child care fees create the wrong kind of enrollment?

Churcher acknowledged that operators keep autonomy over pricing, including sibling rates or percentage discounts, but argued that discounting an already reduced $15-a-day fee, for example by offering months of free care or free food programs, weakens a center's brand and the sector's professional standing after years of advocacy against being seen as babysitting. In her experience, discount-driven enrollment increases complaints and pressure, shortens length of stay because price-focused families keep shopping, and often brings families who have moved between several centers, adding to staff stress and burnout. She said discounting trains families to wait, negotiate and leave when something cheaper appears, and called it a short-term fix. Instead, she pointed to the factors she said parents report when choosing care: hours and location first, then trust and safety, cost, hours of operation and programming. She said ownership model, non-profit or for-profit, does not usually appear among them. Because hours rank first, she recommended designing services around the local workforce, such as shift-friendly hours, predictable closures and fewer exceptions, rather than competing on price.

What systems help a child care center keep enrollment stable?

Churcher described five systems. Enrollment systems set clear start dates, written minimum notice periods and non-negotiable holding policies, protecting centers from mid-month withdrawals and unpaid spaces. Parent communication systems use one official channel rather than a mix of texts, app messages, emails and paper newsletters, with a steady rhythm and messages that explain what children are learning and why. Orientation checklists and written policies replace verbal agreements, reducing misunderstandings such as families not meeting required enrolled hours, which she said can leave a funding gap for that child's month. Staffing systems plan floating staff, coverage, ratios for difficult days and a backup educator. Decision systems include written criteria for accepting families and a clear, visible process for situations where a child is not a good fit, so directors avoid on-the-spot fee or schedule negotiations. She also urged parent onboarding beyond a tour, sitting down to review policies, and consistent enforcement of rules such as late fees. Staff answering tours should know the policies and have a short elevator pitch for the program, and emails should be answered promptly.

What should a director do when enrollment suddenly drops?

Churcher gave a grounded response plan for sudden drops, such as after a funding change. First, pause and audit who remains and who left, and why: a move, a layoff, a new center nearby or a newly posted non-compliance on the public lookup. Second, identify the age groups and schedule gaps to target, filling open spaces in rooms already staffed rather than opening another classroom for a handful of children, which she said new operators often overlook. Third, tighten onboarding and policy processes, including start dates, transitions and staff readiness for hard conversations, since in her experience most turnover happens before the end of the first month. Fourth, clarify availability messaging everywhere, replacing a general registration open message with specific offers such as two toddler spaces available for March 1, and update waitlisted families monthly with expected openings. Fifth, hold standards for a full term before changing strategy, because even strong promotions take time. She also noted that non-compliances remain visible on the public child care lookup for an extended period, so consistent compliance protects enrollment.

Enrollment stability strategies from the session

How ChildFriendly Pro automates this

Churcher recommended monthly waitlist updates by expected opening, filling by age cohort and a single official parent channel, tasks many centers manage in spreadsheets and mixed messaging tools. Wayne Chen of ChildFriendly Pro noted at 33:21 that ChildFriendly Pro manages enrollment, onboarding and waitlists digitally, tracks capacity for part-time and full-time programs, and lets centers plan future registrations for existing families; no screen demo was shown.

Next steps

• Register for the next Director Lunch & Learn for Alberta child care operators
• Tours, waitlists and registration with admissions CRM and capacity forecasting
• Free Parent Contract and Handbook Implementation Checklist
• Book a demo of ChildFriendly Pro enrollment and waitlist tools

Official sources

• Government of Alberta: Childcare lookup tools
• Alberta Education and Childcare