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Excerpt: "We found 694 instances where child care spaces were underutilized compared to approved spaces. This suggests the Ministry may have approved new child care spaces in locations that do not need them. Also, not analyzing the supply of early childhood educators increases the risk of approving spaces that cannot be staffed."

Excerpt: "Through these extended agreements, the Government of Canada will provide more than $1.6 billion to Saskatchewan over five years to support access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care programs and services across the province. This includes an annual 3% funding increase, to help ensure the agreements are sustainable over their duration. As part of the extension, parents of children who turn six while still in child care will continue to be eligible for the $10-a-day rate for the remainder of the same school year."

Excerpt: "Today, Okanese First Nation is celebrating the grand opening of its newly-constructed Okanese Aboriginal Head Start On-Reserve Building—a vibrant, community-driven space dedicated to nurturing early childhood development and school readiness. This new facility replaces the original learning centre built in 1976, marking a renewed commitment to the community’s youngest members. Designed through meaningful consultation with community members, leaders, and Elders, the building reflects the values and traditions of Okanese First Nation, with a strong emphasis on land-based learning and cultural connection. The centre offers a nurturing environment by bringing together spaces for play, quiet reflection, wellness, and cultural learning, all under one roof."

Excerpt: "Built to serve Moose Jaw's growing and diverse population, the new joint-use facility is now home to Coteau Hills Elementary and Our Lady of Hope Catholic School. It brings together Sacred Heart, St. Mary, Empire and Westmount elementary schools into a new state-of-the-art learning environment. The facility offers a unified space designed to support students and families for generations, featuring modern classrooms, a multipurpose cultural room, a shared kitchen lab, a Maker Space Studio and a child care centre with space for 51 children - all under one roof. "This joint-use school in Moose Jaw brings together education, child care and shared spaces that reflect the needs of young learners,” Moe said. “From early childhood through the elementary years, Saskatchewan schools are giving our students their best start. This will be a place where students are encouraged to grow and families feel part of the school community.”"

Excerpt: "The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are investing $10.8 million to expand early learning and child care (ELCC) through the development of new child care centres at Saskatchewan Polytechnic campuses and Northlands College. Through the federal ELCC Infrastructure Fund, as part of the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide ELCC Agreement, 450 new child care spaces will be created at the Saskatchewan Polytechnic campuses in Regina, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw and the new Saskatoon campus, along with 90 additional spaces at Northlands College in La Ronge. This investment in infrastructure will strengthen the regulated child care system by designating 30 per cent of the spaces for families facing barriers to access, including children with disabilities."

Saskatchewan’s provincial education plan represents a commitment to Saskatchewan students and their families. The focus of the plan is to support students for their future and to ensure students feel safe and supported. The 2024-25 school year is the second year of provincial education plan implementation.

The provincial education plan focuses on the needs of all Prekindergarten to Grade 12 students. This plan reflects the diversity of the province and ensures the presence and voices of First Nations and Métis education organizations are heard and felt throughout, as part of the journey towards reconciliation in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan’s education sector is foundational in contributing to the goals of Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan – The Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030 and securing a better quality of life for Saskatchewan people. The provincial education plan actions build resiliency in students and the foundational skills, knowledge and competencies they will need for their future.

Excerpt: "This rewarding career allows educators the opportunity to form bonds with children while teaching them important life skills during their most formative years. [Learn about the} Role of an Early Childhood Educator; Work Requirements; Work-Life Balance as an Early Childhood Educator; Average Wage of ECEs."

Excerpt: "The Early Years Branch collaborated with the National Association of Regulatory Administration (NARA) in the United States to create and introduce differential monitoring, a system for monitoring and licensing child care facilities. The implementation of this new system, which includes the abbreviated checklist with key indicators and weighted risk indicators, commenced in the spring of 2021. As part of this collaboration with NARA, a quality assessment tool was developed: Saskatchewan's Early Learning and Child Care Quality Key Indicator Instrument (SK Quality Tool). The ministry is now implementing use of this new quality assessment tool. Participation in this differential monitoring approach to licensing and monitoring child care facilities is mandatory for all child care centres."

Excerpt: "The ELCC Workforce Enhancement Grant is a grant for regulated and operational child care centres and group family child care homes to support recruitment and retention of Assistants and qualified Early Childhood Educators (ECEs). New and existing facilities who hold a licence between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, are eligible. The grant is calculated at $145 per licenced child care space."

Excerpt: "Effective September 1, 2024, the ECE Wage Enhancement Grant will be increased for certified staff working in child care centres and certified assistants working in group family child care homes. The increased grant will provide up to an additional $1.00 per hour for ECE Level Is, IIs and IIIs. This increase builds upon previous ECE Wage Enhancement Grants announced in November 20211, October 2022 and October 2023."

Excerpt: "Early childhood educators (ECE) provide developmentally appropriate care and learning programs for children and support parents and caregivers to participate in the economy or upgrade their skills. The province recognizes that ECEs are important to growing the number of regulated child care spaces in the province and has prioritized investments into the recruitment and retention of ECE professionals under the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement."

Excerpt: "The 2025-26 Budget delivers increased opportunities and support for kindergarten to Grade 12 students, parents and teachers across Saskatchewan. It also funds the new teacher collective bargaining agreement while addressing growing student enrolment. 2025-26 Budget highlights: Over the last two years, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $5 billion in kindergarten to Grade 12 education; For the upcoming fiscal year, the Ministry of Education will receive $3.5 billion, an increase of $183 million, or 5.5 per cent, over the previous year; $130 million to fund the new teacher collective agreement and address the pressures of growing student enrollment and the challenges facing today’s classrooms; Increase of $186 million, or 8.4 per cent, in school operating funding (total: $2.4 billion); $2 million for kindergarten to Grade 3 literacy; $413.3 million for early learning and child care. Delivering for families includes access to safe, reliable and affordable child care. The Government of Saskatchewan remains committed to adding more regulated home-based and centre-based child care spaces across Saskatchewan."