Daycare demand creates prime opportunity for Edmonton's downtown office properties to address service needs

Nearly 52% of children aged 0–6 in Alberta are enrolled in full-time licensed childcare, and demand continues to outpace capacity, with waitlists continuing to grow despite an increase in the number of spaces over the past 5 years. This demand is likely to continue, as Alberta leads the country in birthrate (1.45 children per woman), population growth (0.4% in Q1 2025), and median age (39.1 years).
With childcare needs rising alongside Edmonton’s goals for growing its downtown workforce, the opportunity is present for accessible daycare options in or near workplaces. As a result, daycare facilities are increasingly viewed as a valuable amenity for office properties, enhancing convenience for working parents and supporting tenant retention.
Of all daycare facilities in the Downtown area, 53% are located within an office building, while 47% are in residential or retail properties. Yet, only 6% of office buildings in Downtown Edmonton have onsite daycare. With the need for more integrated daycare facilities at an all-time high, there is a heightened opportunity for owners to capitalize on this growing demand to offer a valued and essential amenity to their tenants. Efforts are underway at the provincial level to provide financial relief to facilitate daycare expansion.

28 août 2025

US-TX-HOU

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