On Monday the Government of Saskatchewan announced nearly $2 million in funding for licensed child care centres and family child care homes across the province.
“Saskatchewan’s child care facilities have been an exceptional support to Saskatchewan families since the pandemic began,” Education Minister Dustin Duncan said.
“We are pleased to deliver nearly $2 million in funding to these facilities to assist them in providing safe environments for children and staff.”
The intent of this funding is to address the most immediate and pressing needs of child care facilities, which is supporting the safety of children and staff by assisting with the cost of personal protective equipment, cleaning and sanitizing supplies.
The funding is from the Federal Safe Start Agreement intended to help the childcare sector adapt to the COVID-19 environment.
It will be released as a one-time grant of $100 per childcare space to licensed childcare centres and homes.
Since March, the Government of Saskatchewan has continued to provide centres with their operating grants. While some of the centres closed due to the pandemic, their operating grants continued to be provided by the Ministry of Education.
For centres that were designated to provide childcare to those working or returning to work under the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, additional grants were provided.
Early Childhood Education workers also had their salaries topped up by $400 per month for each four-week period, up to 16 weeks, from March 15 to July 4, 2020.
