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March 14, 2023

Governments Of Saskatchewan And Canada Provide An Additional $405,000 For Rural Early Learning Mobile Programs

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."
March 7, 2023

$20.8 million to support early learning and child-care services

Excerpt: "Operating grants will be increased and aligned for both designated early learning child-care centres and homes. Grants will increase to $15 a day per occupied infant space. This is meant to improve availability for these spaces after families and stakeholders identified finding infant care as a significant obstacle to workforce participation, particularly for women. Grants for preschool spaces will increase to $3 a day per occupied space. Additionally, effective April 1, the market fee threshold – which guides operators in setting daily fees – will increase by eight per cent to reflect the 2022 consumer price index. Operators receive funding from the government to offset the low-fee policy for families. Out-of-pocket fees paid by families, which were reduced by an average of 50 per cent in June 2022, will not be affected by this increase."
March 6, 2023

Saskatchewan To Achieve $10 A Day Child Care By April 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 3, 2023

Manitoba Government Sets Stage for $10-a-Day Child Care, Prioritizing New Spaces, Training Early Learning and Child-Care Professionals, and Ensuring Access Across the Province

Excerpt: "As part of the Manitoba government’s ongoing efforts to be a national leader in affordable and accessible child care, Premier Heather Stefanson and Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko announced today Manitoba has reached a historic milestone in which Manitoba families will pay a maximum of $10 a day for children 12 years and under for regular hours of care, beginning April 2."
March 2, 2023

Securing the future for ECEs

The Atkinson Centre promotes research on child development, and the development of early learning policy and practice that serve young children and their families.