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News & Stories: Policy Monitor

July 29, 2020

Excerpt: "Canada and Saskatchewan agree that the long term vision, principles and objectives for early learning and child care, which are set out in the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework that is attached as Annex 1, will guide the investment of funds provided under this Agreement."
November 30, 2020

Excerpt: "My government will also fulfill its campaign commitment to help families by adding 750 new childcare spaces over the next four years and by restarting the Active Families Benefit."
March 24, 2021

Excerpt: "The agreement allocates approximately $13.6 million in federal funding in 2020–21 for early learning and child care investments in Saskatchewan. Specifically, Saskatchewan will invest in continuing to support access to licensed early learning and child care, creating early learning opportunities for children experiencing disability, supporting Francophone early learning and child care, and training opportunities for educators and staff."
April 6, 2021

Excerpt: "An increase of $2 million, including an increase of $1.1. million for community-based organizations, in this Budget brings child care funding up to $75.5 million and will create an additional 176 new licensed home-based spaces and 51 new licensed centre spaces as part of the province’s four-year commitment to provide 750 new licensed child care spaces."
April 21, 2021

Excerpt: "Today, the government announced the creation of an online portal called Parent Central to help parents or caregivers find and access licensed child care, information, programming or services for children from the ages of zero to six. "Our government remains committed to supporting families with necessary access to quality child care in their communities," Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. "This new website will help families find these services nearest to where they work or live.""
May 31, 2021

Excerpt: "The Active Families Benefit will provide families with an annual income of less than $60,000 up to $150 per year, per child or $200 per year, per child for children who are eligible for the federal Child Disability Tax Credit. This benefit helps with the costs associated with enrolling children in sport and recreation activities. This investment is part of the 2021-22 Budget and will be retroactive to January 1, 2021. Parents who enroll their children in sport, culture and recreation activities in the 2021 calendar year are therefore reminded to keep their receipts so they may claim the benefit with their 2021 tax filings."
August 13, 2021

Excerpt: "In addition to significantly reducing the cost of child care, federal funding of close to $1.1 billion over the next five years will lead to the creation of 28,000 new regulated early learning and child care spaces to help ensure Saskatchewan families with children under six years old can access child care spaces that meet their needs. Federal funding will support the expansion of these new child care spaces in not-for-profit child care centres, small child care facilities and home-based child care."
October 27, 2021

Speech from the Throne 2021

Excerpt: "Since 2007, the number of child care spaces in the province has increased 77 per cent – from 9,305 to 16,475. In August, we signed a $1.1 billion child care deal with the federal government. This plan will reduce child care costs to an average of $10 a day by 2025-26 and create thousands of new child care spaces. By the end of next year, child care fees will be reduced by 50 per cent."
November 3, 2021

Excerpt: "Today, the Government Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan announced an investment of $9.6 million to fund a wage increase of up to $3 per hour for qualified Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) in the province."
November 19, 2021

Excerpt: "Since signing the early learning and child care agreements with the federal government in August, the Government of Saskatchewan has delivered a wage increase and training opportunities for early childhood educators (ECEs) ensuring families and their children have access to high quality and inclusive child care in the province.

Today, the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan announced that as a first step toward making child care more affordable for children aged 0 to 5, funding will be provided to licensed facilities that will reduce parents’ out-of-pocket child care fees by about half on average, retroactive to July 1, 2021. This initial reduction is the first step toward reaching the 2025-26 goal of, on average, $10 a day licensed child care in Saskatchewan."
December 6, 2021

Excerpt: "The Government of Saskatchewan prioritizes allocating new child care spaces in communities where there is both a high need for child care and a higher level of vulnerability, and to organizations that are ready to move forward with centre development. Organizations will be provided with start-up grants and enhanced space development funding to support the creation of child care centre spaces."
December 30, 2021

Excerpt: "In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, Saskatchewan will work to develop a wage grid. Saskatchewan’s renewed funding model will recognize this wage grid and compensation of ECEs as an essential feature of child care funding. The wage grid developed in fiscal year 2022 to 2023 will serve as an anchor for determining appropriate compensation according to certification level. Saskatchewan will work towards implementing the wage grid as part of the renewed funding model."