Im not sure if this is Alberta wide, but my agency is mainly there to monitor, provide insurance (as its difficult to get privately), and give me the 'accredited' title to get top-up funding. Other than that I'm still my own business and can charge what I want for whatever hours, parents pay me and not the agency. They don't have set prices that they tell us to charge.
And yes, they theoretically are meant to place clients, but I don't feel like their system works all the well. I've heard they have a wait list of 150-200 kids, and I'll occasionally get an email (sent to all providers) with a family's details. I also have a friend who's been on the wait list since April and though they'd fit perfectly in my space (though I wouldn't be comfortable taking their kids since we are close), I've heard nothing from the agency.