Calgary daycare chain hits parents with 'optional' $330 meal fee while prohibiting outside food

Parents with kids in a Calgary daycare chain say they feel taken advantage of after new provincial rules took effect on April 1 that set a flat monthly rate of $326 for basic care but also allow operators to charge any amount on top of that for "optional" services.

In practice, the parents say, the new $330-per-month "meal service fee" at Clever Daycare hasn't actually been optional.

"There's no outside food allowed in the facility, and therefore we're not able to opt out of the meal fee," said one parent, who didn't want to be identified because she worries speaking out might get her kid kicked out of the facility.

Another parent said her child used to be allowed to bring some light snacks in the morning but was told this week that was no longer allowed.

"They didn't let him eat his snack and they said no outside food," she said. "It was never an issue before. We used to do potlucks."

CBC News has agreed not to identify the parents, in order to avoid potential repercussions for their kids.

The parents recently received a new "Clever Daycare Parent Handbook," which includes a non-disparagement clause and warns that the operator "reserves the right to immediately terminate a child's enrolment" if parents violate the policy.

A spokesperson with Clever Daycare said the province's new regulations have "areas that still remain unclear" and noted meal services are also governed by other "health and safety protocols" under Alberta's Public Health Act.

"At Clever Daycare, our policy is to mitigate serious allergy risks, prevent cross-contamination, and uphold consistent food safety standards," Ahad Daneshvar said in an email to CBC News.

"This policy has been key to protecting children with life-threatening allergies, and changing it would significantly increase risk and liability. The E. coli outbreak in Calgary daycares in September 2023 highlighted how lapses in food handling can lead to severe health risks for children."

He noted the final report from the review panel that investigated that incident recommended all child-care providers be required to develop an "outside food" policy but that the province "should allow for flexibility across individual facilities."

"It is not recommended that such policies are strictly prescribed in government legislation," the report reads.

"As such, we are actively engaging in conversations with government stakeholders to advocate that allowing optional parent-provided meals undermines both the intent of current regulations and the review panel's clear direction for risk mitigation and proactive food safety management," Daneshvar said.

Clever Daycare operates three facilities in the city: in Glamorgan, Aspen Woods and the University District.