Alberta Record

· Order in Council / Early Childhood Services mask mandate prohibition · in-force

Early childhood services mask mandate prohibition

Amends the Early Childhood Services Regulation to prohibit operators from denying access to early childhood services programs based on a child or student not wearing a face mask for communicable disease prevention.

High impactCivil libertiesHealth system governanceThe public, directlySchools

What changed

  • Repeals and substitutes Section 5.1 of the Early Childhood Services Regulation (AR 126/2022) with new provisions regarding access to learning.
  • Prohibits early childhood services operators from denying a child or student access to a program if they do not wear a face mask for the primary purpose of preventing or limiting communicable disease spread.

Why it matters

  • Reduces the discretion of early childhood services operators to implement health protocols related to mask-wearing for communicable disease prevention.
  • Establishes a uniform provincial standard regarding mask requirements, or lack thereof, in early childhood services programs across Alberta.
  • Shifts decision-making authority on mask policies from individual early childhood service providers to the provincial government.

Other governance concerns

  • Limits the autonomy of early childhood service operators to set health policies.
  • Impacts the ability of operators to implement measures they deem necessary for public health.
  • Centralizes decision-making regarding health protocols for communicable diseases in early childhood settings.

Primary sources (1)