Premier Scott Moe of Saskatchewan has announced that the province will be entering into a renewed agreement with the federal government to extend the $10-a-day child care program. The agreement, set to last until March 2031, will secure funding for subsidized daycare fees and wage enhancements for early childhood educators. The current five-year agreement was on the brink of expiring in March 2026, with Saskatchewan and Alberta being the only provinces yet to finalize the extension.
The uncertainty surrounding the extension has caused stress for advocates, staff, and parents. However, the recent announcement has brought immense relief to many. Regina resident Shayla Dietrich, a mother of two children in subsidized daycare, expressed her relief and happiness over the province securing the agreement. She highlighted the significance of affordable child care as an issue of women’s equality, emphasizing that many mothers face challenges in the workforce without access to such services.
In another perspective, Nicole Wall, an early-childhood educator at Play & Discover Early Learning Centre in Regina, shared her excitement about the news. She mentioned the concerns among child-care workers about their job security in the absence of a renewed agreement. Wall pointed out that the existing agreement includes wage enhancements linked to the $10-a-day program, which are crucial for many educators. Without these enhancements, there was a risk of losing $5 to $7 per hour, making it financially unsustainable for many in the industry.
Wall expressed relief at the news, stating that the agreement brings a sense of security and stability to the child-care sector. The prospect of losing wage enhancements had created uncertainty and potential job losses for many educators, making the agreement renewal a critical development for the industry’s workforce.