Joan Pratchler, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Early Learning and Childcare, said parents and early childhood educators are growing increasingly anxious about the uncertainty.
“Parents are worried sick about the future of their childcare spaces,” Pratchler said. “Moms and dads can’t go to work at the hospital or the potash mine if no one is there to watch the kids.
“These are scary times, and parents and providers need certainty. The last thing anyone wants is for the Sask. Party to close these centres and cut these jobs. We need to focus on the future and sign the deal.”
Lynn Weiers, the Director of Building Blocks Childcare in Moose Jaw, added that she’s, “heard from many families worried that if the $10/day childcare program goes away, they simply will have to pull their child from the centre.
“This will mean one parent is giving up their income, their career, and this will be mostly women,” Weiers added.
The Saskatchewan NDP has launched a petition to protect $10-a-day childcare, gathering thousands of signatures in just a couple weeks.
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