UCP proposes legislation aimed at increasing transparency in schools and childcare

EDMONTON — The UCP government proposed legislation on Thursday that it claims would give parents more information about school activities, establish consistent report card standards and require childcare operators to disclose safety incidents.Bill 35, the Securing Parental Involvement Act, would introduce new transparency requirements for schools, including public reporting on professional development days and standardized expectations for student report cards.It would amend the Early Learning and Child Care Act to strengthen regulatory oversight of childcare providers, require more communication with parents following safety incidents and give Alberta officials additional authority over licensing and compliance.Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the school legislation would put parents at the centre of their children's education.“We’re putting parents at the centre of their children’s education by providing clearer information, greater transparency and stronger opportunities for families to stay informed and involved,” said Nicolaides. .Report card practices vary across school authorities, and the UCP said this creates differences in the information parents and students receive. Bill 35 would give the education minister authority to establish provincial standards for report cards, although school boards would retain the ability to determine their formats and delivery methods.Those standards would apply to public and separate school boards and Francophone regional authorities, with implementation anticipated for the 2027-28 school year.The bill would also require select school authorities to publicly disclose activities conducted on professional development days and other non-instructional operational days within 60 calendar days.Those days can include educator training, planning and preparation. The UCP said there is currently no requirement for school authorities to publicly share information about activities conducted on those days..Bill 35 would also require school authorities to establish processes for handling parental concerns that remain unresolved through existing school-level procedures.Under the current system, parents are generally expected to raise concerns with their child's school before escalating unresolved disputes through school authority processes. The Education Act already provides mechanisms for dispute resolution, appeals to school boards and ministerial review, but procedures for managing unresolved concerns vary between authorities.The UCP also plans to develop an online tool to help families navigate complaints and identify province-wide issues.The legislation would further require public school boards to obtain the education minister's approval before beginning a process to name or rename a school building. Boards could continue local consultations and decision-making after receiving approval, but the minister would retain the authority to reject the final name.This builds on provisions introduced through the province's An Act to Remove Politics and Ideology from Classrooms and Amend the Education Act, 2026. Those school-naming provisions were not proclaimed in September and are not currently in effect.Bill 35's approach would ensure ministerial oversight occurs before school boards begin naming or renaming processes that could require significant public resources.The education-related changes are anticipated to take effect in time for the 2027-28 school year, subject to legislative approval and proclamation..Bill 35 would also amend the Early Learning and Child Care Act to strengthen regulatory oversight of childcare providers, require more communication with parents following safety incidents and give provincial officials additional authority over licensing and compliance.“Parents deserve confidence that their children are safe and well cared for," Nicolaides said. "These changes would strengthen oversight of licensed childcare, give government better tools to identify and address concerns, and ensure families receive clear, timely information when serious issues arise.”The legislation introduces additional requirements for childcare providers to report incidents, communicate with parents and make safety and compliance information publicly available.Proposed amendments would require operators to report incidents and critical incidents to the department and inform parents of directly affected children.When high-risk, potentially criminal incidents are reported, licensing staff currently request a safety plan from the childcare operator and conduct a site visit within one business day. Operators must post a visit summary prominently at the facility, but they are not required to notify parents when it is posted, and safety plans are not legally required..Bill 35 would require operators to develop, implement and post approved safety plans while informing all parents at a childcare program about posted safety plans and inspection visit summaries.It would authorize the statutory director to require and approve safety plans, monitor compliance and take enforcement action when operators fail to follow approved plans.The director would also gain authority to notify parents about incidents, critical incidents, health and safety matters, and compliance issues when an operator is unable or unwilling to do so.Alberta's government could publish safety plans, inspection reports, visit summaries, information about incidents and critical incidents, administrative penalties and other documents relating to children's safety or regulatory compliance..The proposed amendments would also expand the information officials can consider when assessing childcare licence applications and renewals, including applicants' qualifications, experience, enforcement histories, financial mismanagement and outstanding debts to the Crown.It would allow officials to introduce expiry dates and renewal requirements for childcare certifications, which currently have indefinite terms.Other changes would allow electronic inspections and delivery of enforcement notices, clarify appeal timelines and protect government employees from liability when acting in good faith while performing their duties under the legislation.The childcare amendments are expected to take effect on March 1, 2027, if passed and proclaimed.

UCP proposes legislation aimed at increasing transparency in schools and childcare

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