Excerpts from press release:
Premier Lorne Calvert says the largest child care expansion in the history of the province will occur this year. At a special event with the board, staff and children of the 24-Hour Co-Op Day Care in Regina this morning, the Premier announced 1,200 new, licensed child care spaces over the next four years.
The components of the Child Care Saskatchewan are:
- $1.8 million for: a) 500, new licensed child care spaces in the 2003/04 fiscal year; b) Early Childhood Services grant funding to 250 existing, previously unfunded licensed spaces, effective April 1st; c) Capital funding for building development, renovations and fire safety requirements associated with the new spaces.
- $1 million to increase child care subsidies an average of $20.00 per month, per child, effective June 1.
- A $200,000 increase in Early Childhood Services grant funding to address wage and human resource requirements in licensed child care facilities.
"All Saskatchewan people must have opportunities to contribute to the economic and social life of the province," Premier Calvert said. "Quality and affordable child care is essential for parents who are working or going to school. This child care commitment from our government is another signal that the future is wide open to anyone prepared to dream big, plan well and work hard."
"The $3 million for Child Care Saskatchewan is made up of $2.2 million in provincial funding and $800,000 from the federal government," Community Resources and Employment (formerly Social Services) Minister Glenn Hagel said. "Saskatchewan is playing an important leadership role in the new federal/provincial/territorial Early Learning and Child Care framework."
With the added capacity, there will be approximately 7,900 child care spaces supported by an annual budget of over $22 million.