As summer ramps up, the Alberta government has opened applications for their ‘Every Kid Can Play’ program, ensuring no financial barriers for children who want to be active.
The Government of Alberta program, announced Monday at the MNP Community and Sports Centre in Calgary, hopes to provide equal access to sports and recreational activities for all children in the province. The program removes financial barriers that may prevent children from participating in sports by providing financial assistance for registration fees, equipment, and other related costs.
The province also opened up two grant applications for provincial-scope and community-level non-profits to help reduce costs of expanding, delivering or enhancing existing programs.
Searle Turton, Minister of Children and Family Services, believes that this program will benefit communities as a whole, and open more opportunities for play.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the positive impact that this initiative will have in supporting local community organizations. This program will create even more opportunities for accessible sports and recreation programs for the youth,” he said.
“We at Children and Family Services are thrilled to see an initiative that is making it easier and more affordable for young Albertans to enjoy their peers and communities in healthy ways.”
In April, the Alberta government announced that they gave more than $3 million to KidSport in order to fund the initiative.
KidSport Alberta is a section of KidSport Canada, a non-profit dedicated to giving assistance to Canadian children who cannot afford to be in sports. Since 1993, the organization has helped nearly 1 million Canadian youth enjoy sports and other active recreational activities.
Joseph Schow, Alberta’s Minister of Tourism and Sport, said that the program aims to foster physical activity, social engagement, and overall well-being among Alberta’s youth.
“Sport and physical activity are an important part of every kid’s life. They teach teamwork, develop confidence, and promote healthy lifestyles that we can last as well into adulthood. Healthy kids become healthy teenagers, and healthy teenagers become healthy adults,” he said.
“The next generation of our children will shape the future of our province. We are focusing on nurturing them and providing them with the opportunity to live healthy, active lives.”
Families can apply and obtain assistance through the KidSport Alberta website. Families can apply for up to $350 per child to offset registration fees. More information on eligibility is available on the Government of Alberta website.