“This agreement should have been signed weeks ago,” said Pratchler. “We’ve heard from so many parents, especially in rural areas, about how essential childcare is. Moms and dads can’t go to work in the hospital or the potash mine if no one is there to watch their kids.”
The federal government renewed its childcare funding for another five years, but Saskatchewan is one of only two provinces that have yet to sign on.
Without a deal, parents will face higher fees, fewer childcare spaces, and potential centre closures. Childcare providers warn that the uncertainty has parents and early childhood educators panicking.
“The Sask. Party needs to get back to work,” said Pratchler. “They need to sign this deal now so parents can keep working, kids can keep learning, and our economy can grow, now and in the future. Failing to act will cost hundreds of jobs, especially in rural communities.”
“The impact would be devastating for local economies—job losses, reduced business activity, and, most critically, the loss of a service that helps parents, especially mothers, return to work,” said Luanne Ferner, Board Member of the Prairie Playhouse ELC in Sedley. “Childcare is essential to sustaining rural life, keeping schools open, businesses running, and communities thriving.”
The Sask. Party government has failed to act quickly on tariffs, the national school food program, and now the $10/day childcare agreement. After 17 years in office and big losses last election, they are too tired to do the work.
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