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News & Stories: Policy Monitor

March 23, 2022

Excerpt: "Saskatchewan's 27 school divisions will receive $1.99 billion in school operating funding for the 2022-23 school year, an increase of $29.4 million or 1.5 per cent. This increase will: provide an additional $6.0 million for learning supports for students; and fully fund the 2.0 per cent salary increase for teachers as part of the Teachers' Collective Bargaining Agreement."
August 11, 2022

Excerpt: "The governments of Saskatchewan and Canada have taken another important step to improve affordability and further reduce regulated child care fees for families with children under six. Starting September 1, 2022, parent fees for regulated child care will be reduced by an average of 70 per cent compared to March 2021 levels. This fee reduction, the second announced this year, is part of close to $1.1 billion being invested to transform child care in Saskatchewan through the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement by making regulated child care more affordable for Saskatchewan families. Parent fee reductions represent spending of $13.4 million over the last fiscal year and a total of $74 million for 2022-23."
August 12, 2022

Excerpt: "Through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Saskatchewan has already achieved a 50% reduction in average parent fees for regulated child care spaces for children under 6 years of age, retroactive to July 1, 2021. Starting September 1, 2022, parent fees for regulated child care will be further reduced, to an average of 70% compared to March 2021 levels. These fee reductions means families in Saskatchewan are already saving up to an estimated average of $3,910 annually per child, and could save an average of approximately $5,220 a year per child once fees reach an average of $10-a-day. These are significant milestones, and the province is on track to reach an average of $10-a-day early learning and child care fees by March 2026."
August 15, 2022

Excerpt: "Saskatchewan is committing nearly $9 million for training and professional development grants for the early learning and child care sector. This is part of Saskatchewan’s commitment to improve quality in the early years and child care sector, and is just one of many programs delivered through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The province has partnered with Collège Mathieu, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Sask Polytech) to make Early Childhood Education (ECE) training opportunities available at no charge. The three post-secondary institutions have programming available beginning in 2022-23."
September 15, 2022

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are investing $5.4 million to provide up to $2 an hour increase for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs). This is in recognition of the important services they provide in supporting families who require child care. The investment will assist child care centres in providing improved wages in the recruitment and retention of ECEs. This Wage Enhancement Grant will be funded through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which also supports future ECEs with free post-secondary training, professional development opportunities and many other programs."
²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ 11, 2022

Excerpt: "Saskatchewan regulated child care centres and group family child care homes will receive a one-time grant of $145 per regulated child care space for children up to the age of six to assist with each facility's unique workforce needs, such as one-time investments into benefit or pension funds, signing bonuses or to attend career fairs. This investment will be made through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement for the Early Learning and Child Care Workforce Enhancement Grant."
²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ 27, 2022

Excerpt: "The Change Management Grant is a flexible grant that will be available effective immediately and calculated at a rate of $200 per regulated child care space. Child care home and centre providers can use the funds at their discretion to adapt to changes emerging from the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Among other possibilities, grant money could be used to learn new computer skills, upgrade computer software or hardware or acquire training in administration."
²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ 31, 2022

Excerpt: "There are now several hundred more educational assistants in schools throughout the province, providing important in-class support for thousands of Saskatchewan students. Approximately 200 of these positions are provided by the Government of Saskatchewan's $7 million in targeted funding for school divisions to increase the number of educational assistants for the 2022-23 school year. "Educational assistants are valued support staff that provide significant contributions to student learning," Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. "Our government will continue to ensure school divisions have the funding they need to support students, staff and their school communities.""
November 17, 2022

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are investing $28.9 million to develop up to 2,197 new child care spaces in regulated child care centres across the province. "Today our government is pleased to announce a significant expansion in regulated child care, which is so important to Saskatchewan families," Minister of Education Dustin Duncan said. "In our growing province, we are providing funding for nearly 2,200 more children to attend regulated child care, which provides high quality early learning, play and exploration environments for our youngest learners." Of the 2,197 newly funded spaces, 1,599 spaces have been allocated to specific organizations who will either build new facilities or add new spaces within their existing facilities. The remaining 598 funded spaces will be allocated to organizations later this year through an application process."
January 31, 2023

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada announce three new, one-time grants to support regulated early learning and child care centres and homes across the province. The $44 million investment in one-time grants aims to help offset costs incurred from inflation, support preventative maintenance and repairs of centres, and provide funding for outdoor winter play equipment."
March 6, 2023

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are pleased to announce that parent fees for regulated child care in the province will be reduced to $10 a day starting April 1, 2023. Saskatchewan is one of the first Canadian provinces to achieve this milestone, which is three years ahead of schedule as outlined in the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement to bring down child care fees to $10 day by 2025-26. "The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to investing in affordable, inclusive and high-quality child care that provides children with a positive start in life while also giving parents the flexibility and choice to build both a family and career," Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. Parents whose children are under the age of six and attend regulated child care on a full-time basis can expect to pay $217.50 per month. The fee reductions will result in families saving an average of $395 to $573 per month for each child under six from the average comparable fees as of March 31, 2021."
March 14, 2023

Excerpt: "Families in rural Saskatchewan with young children will have access to further mobile early learning opportunities, thanks to an additional $405,000 investment from the Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada. Funding for KidsFirst Regional programming was $823,500 in 2022-23. This additional investment, recently provided to KidsFirst Regional areas increases the total program funding to $1.2 million. KidsFirst Regional travels to communities across the province bringing unique learning opportunities to children up to age five with programs such as take-home literacy kits, story walks and pop-up preschool events. This increase in funding will allow KidsFirst Regional to reach more children in their own communities with learning initiatives that focus on child development, literacy, nutrition and health and well-being."