Sask. providers say extension of $10-a-day child-care deal essential

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As Saskatchewan remains one of two provinces yet to sign an extension of a federal deal securing affordable child care, Cara Werner says many of the centres her organization represents face deficits and considerable uncertainty.

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“Many centres are having to fundraise upwards of $40,000 just to keep their lights on and to keep their doors open. We shouldn’t be fundraising for things like payroll,” said Werner on behalf of the Southeast Saskatchewan Directors Association (SSDA), which represents 25 daycares in the southeast of the province.

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Werner was one of many child-care providers, parents and daycare program operators at the legislative building on Monday asking why the province has not signed a new $37-billion deal with the federal government that will ensure $10-a-day child care is funded until 2031. Alberta is the other province that hasn’t signed.

$10-a-day child care first came into force in Saskatchewan in spring 2023. This was part of a promise from the federal government to have such child care in place Canada-wide by 2026.

Joan Pratchler, Saskatchewan NDP critic for child care and early learning, said the province has been a laggard and needs to offer a degree of certainty by signing onto the extension, which includes a three-per-cent funding increase every year starting in 2027-2028.

“There’s so much at stake right now if we don’t get this signed. Parents will face higher fees, child-care spaces will disappear,” she said, adding downstream impacts will be felt if this deal lapses and the $10-a-day child care disappears.

“Moms and dads can’t go to work in hospitals as nurses, as doctors, or in schools as teachers, as support staff, or in the potash mines or at seeding time, which is right around the corner,” said Pratchler. “They can’t do that if there’s not anyone there to watch the children.

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“I don’t know what the hold up is.”

An emailed response from the Government of Saskatchewan said it remains “ready to negotiate in good faith before the expiration of the current agreement on March 31, 2026.”

“An extension to the negotiation should mean listening to operators to make improvements to the agreement so they can be beneficial for children, operators, and our governments for years to come,” continued the response.

The province said before it signs onto the extension, it would like to see the terms from other provincial agreements with the federal government and the flexibility “to address before/after school program.”

Werner said the province has yet to consult with providers and now there’s considerable uncertainty around not only the cost of child-care spaces, but whether people will have jobs in a year’s time. She added that since 2021, operating grants provided by the government have remained stagnant.

“None of us should be here today calling for action at the 11th hour,” said Pratchler, adding that legacy child-care providers are unable to raise fees, making things more difficult for those centres.

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Nicole Wall, an early childhood educator at Play and Discover Early Learning Centre in Regina, said since the deal first came in, the province has not kept up with the demands of the system.

“A reliable, equitable funding model needs to happen,” she said.

Megan Moore, senior director of programs at the YWCA in Regina, said although the program is not without its challenges, it has seen considerable uptake.

“We have seen the immeasurable positive impact of $10-a-day, affordable child care in Saskatchewan,” said Moore. But, she said there needs to be more spaces and better funding, as Moore says the YWCA has witnessed families in dire need of childcare.

“We have seen a significant increase in our wait lists. The YWCA operates five childcare centres, four in the city and one rurally. We have approximately 300 families currently sitting on our active wait lists,” said Moore.

alsalloum@postmedia.com

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