Stories News
A big boost for little ones
$1.85M in immediate funding for early childhood programs this holiday season
Edmonton’s little ones are getting a big boost this year.
We are very pleased to announce more than $1.85 million in new funding to support children from infancy through kindergarten. This investment brings our total support for early childhood development in 2025 to over $2.5 million, delivered through 59 grants to organizations across the city.
Why such a major focus on the early years? Research shows that more than half of Edmonton’s children start kindergarten already behind on at least one developmental indicator. These early gaps can ripple forward, affecting everything from school success to long-term health and well-being.
That’s why ECF is stepping in — and stepping up.
Supporting programs families rely on
This latest round of funding supports 18 organizations, so they can continue offering evidence-based programs that help children learn, grow and thrive. That includes mobile early years programming, land-based teachings, metal-health-informed family support and training for early childhood educators.
A few examples include:
- Edmonton Public Library is adding more than 5,300 new picture books to spark early literacy.
- Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society is expanding its land-based teachings and oral storytelling programs.
- ABC Head Start Society is renovating and retrofitting a new West Edmonton site to bring four classrooms under one roof.
These are just a few of the programs that will offer stability that families can count on today, while ECF continues working to support the ECD sector long-term.
Building for the future
Looking ahead to 2026, we’re partnering with the Community-University Partnership at the University of Alberta to map how Edmonton’s youngest children are doing and where service gaps remain. Their research will guide our long-term approach to early childhood development.
Because when children thrive, our whole city thrives. And this is just the beginning.
