Changes in the funding structure for subsidized child care in Saskatchewan are prompting providers to inform families that they may no longer be able to accommodate their children, especially for young ones attending part-time or drop-in care.
Jennifer Blaedow, who runs Little Fawns Home Daycare, situated about 35 minutes northeast of the Battlefords, has a capacity for five children with seven currently enrolled. However, she has had to notify two families that she cannot continue to offer spots for their children.
Blaedow explained, “Currently, I will only be accepting full-time families. It doesn’t make sense for me to provide drop-in or occasional care.”
The issue stems from a modification to the government grant that covers the gap between the $10/day fee paid by parents for the federally subsidized program and the actual cost of the child care spot.
Under the existing system, providers receive the grant for each child in attendance. This includes scenarios where children are there part-time, such as kindergarten students attending school on alternate days, or kids of shift workers who do not need care daily. It also covers situations where a child is absent, and the spot is filled by a drop-in.
Starting July 1, providers can only receive the grant once per licensed spot.
Several providers have voiced concerns to CBC, stating that this change eliminates the incentive to cater to children not enrolled full-time.
Blaedow mentioned that waitlists for most child-care providers in the Battlefords area exceed two years, emphasizing her regret at having to turn children away.
She highlighted that if she were to accept a drop-in on certain days, she would only be able to charge $10 per day, as per the funding regulations for licensed facilities, amounting to $1 per hour for her 10-hour days.
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Maria Mukhtar, operating a home daycare in east Regina, has informed five families that she will no longer be able to care for their children as of July 1.
She expressed, “If I’m not receiving the government grant, why would I take in another child for $10? I am already being funded the same amount by the government. But for $10, why would I accommodate an extra child?”
The federally funded $10/day child-care program, launched in 2021 for a five-year term, has been extended in Saskatchewan for another five years until March 2031.