After more than half a month of disruption in their fall routine, thousands of Alberta parents received a Halloween treat courtesy of the provincial government on Friday.

“It helps a bit,” explained Damanjit Maher, a father of one.

“But (it doesn’t) fully cover the day, when we take days off.”

The Parent Payment Program offered families of eligible children impacted by the strike $30 a day.

The strike led to 16 missed days of instruction, meaning a payout of $480 per child, with higher payouts for children with special needs.

The strike screeched to a halt when Smith’s government passed a bill this week forcing teachers back to work, imposing a new collective bargaining agreement and using the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to shield the law from a court challenge.

The payments are

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