The Alberta Association for the Accreditation of Early Learning and Care Services (AELCS) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to raise the standard of child care in Alberta; improve best practices in early learning and child-care services; support families through the provision and identification of quality care; and address issues of staff recruitment and retention in early learning and child care programs.

      The Alberta government has given AELCS a mandate to establish quality standards of child-care service, assess those services against the standards required by licensing, and accredit those services that meet or exceed those standards though the Alberta Child Care Accreditation Program (ACCAP).

      This program is voluntary. Child-care centres that choose to become accredited are eligible to receive financial support for staff recruitment, training and retention, and on-going support to sustain the delivery of high-quality early learning and childcare services.

      Participation is voluntary. When an early learning and child-care program chooses to become accredited, it is committing to providing a level of excellence in child-care that exceeds the licensing and program requirements already set out by government for childcare.

      The Ready Steady Go Child Development Centre was given accreditation status in June of 2005 and is now recognized as among the top quality child-care centres in Calgary. Visit AELCS to learn more.