Roberta Young
Regina Leader-Post
Saskatchewan Polytechnic campuses across the province are getting a combined 450 new child-care spaces, while Northlands College is to receive an additional 90.
The provincial and federal governments announced Wednesday a joint investment of $10.8 million to develop new child-care centres at Sask. Poly’s campuses in Regina, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw and Saskatoon as well as Northlands College in La Ronge.
“These early learning and child-care centres will serve children, students, faculty and the broader community supporting our commitment to making Saskatchewan the best place to work, live and raise a family,” Sask. Education Minister Everett Hindley is quoted as saying in a recent news release.
‘As soon as possible’
The new centres will be up and running “as soon as possible,” said the provincial Ministry of Education in a followup email Thursday to the Regina Leader-Post.
Although the ministry did not provide a timeline, Sask. Poly and Northlands “anticipate the spaces will be operational in the coming years,” the email added.
Like Northlands, Sask. Poly campuses in Regina, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert will each be allotted 90 spaces, according to the ministry, which said the new campus in Saskatoon will have 180 spaces.
Thirty per cent of the new spaces will be designated for children with disabilities and families facing barriers to accessing childcare, said the release.
Training grounds
The new child-care centres will also serve as training sites for early childhood education students.
“Each facility will require between 20-25 staff – depending on final determination of space breakdowns,” said the ministry. “It is anticipated that some of these staff may be completing their Early Childhood Education training while working. Full time ECE students may also be able to access part-time employment opportunities.”
$10-a-day childcare still up in the air
Despite Wednesday’s announcement, Saskatchewan has yet to sign a deal to extend the federally subsidized $10-a-day child-care program into March 2031. Without the extension, the program would end in March 2026.
The province said earlier this year that the federal government provided an ultimatum to sign on “with no room for any changes or additions” to the previous agreement.
The provincial government said it wants the ability to view agreements between other provinces and the Canadian government before signing.
“Ministry of Education officials are engaged with federal counterparts as part of the current agreement, during which time they are re-affirming Saskatchewan’s commitment to signing an extension,” the ministry said in an email to the Leader-Post.
“Education Minister Everett Hindley has also written numerous letters to the previous and now current federal Minister to set up a meeting to discuss the extension.”
