SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan NDP has raised concerns about the affordable childcare agreement between the federal and provincial governments after fees have risen dramatically, despite families being promised it would make child care affordable.
Shadow minister for early learning and child care Joan Pratchler on Thursday, July 2, warned that recent fee increases will affect not only families, childcare centres and the early childhood workforce, but also the province's commitment to affordable child care under its agreement with the federal government.
Pratchler, in a media event outside the YMCA in the city, said rising parent fees are only one part of a broader problem, pointing to changes in provincial funding for early childhood educator training, and believes these changes will make it harder for childcare centres to recruit and retain qualified staff.
She added that the changes have direct consequences for children, especially in the childcare workforce, after the province has already stopped funding training for Level 2 and Level 3 ECEs, despite many licensed childcare centres being required by regulation to employ staff with those qualifications.
"You need that second and third level in a lot of your centres by regulation. Children have complex needs, so you need people that are trained to address those,” said Pratchler, since advanced training is essential as many children require educators with skills to support increasingly complex developmental and behavioural needs.
The NDP said some early childhood educators and childcare providers have lost their jobs, with parents who work in childcare centres, and Pratchler argued that expecting educators to pay for their own education is unrealistic given current wages in the sector.
"They say they can save up and pay for their own tuition. Well, when an ECE Level 1 only makes about $20 an hour, they can barely save up for groceries,” said Pratchler, adding that this could also result in higher staff turnover as educators leave child care for better-paying jobs in other industries.
"What happens then is you get a revolving door. You get trained up, you're making around $20 an hour in a childcare centre, and then you can go somewhere else and make a little more. You're going to take that job at that point, and I don't blame them,” said Pratchler.
Pratchler said losing experienced educators would ultimately affect children and families by making it more difficult for centres to maintain staffing levels and meet regulatory requirements, potentially limiting the number of available childcare spaces.
The Opposition is also questioning how federal childcare funding is being spent, with Pratchler saying that she has repeatedly asked the provincial government to provide a detailed accounting of how money received through the federal-provincial childcare agreement has been allocated.
"I have been asking over the last 18 months for the Minister of Education to provide a crystal-clear, transparent breakdown of where the funding is going from the federal government's part of the agreement and how that's been filtered through in our province," she said.
"As a former principal, when that Grade 7 boy keeps saying, 'Yes, I have my homework,' until I see that homework on my desk, I know full well it's not done," she said. "I don't think this is much different," said Pratchler, who added that her requests have gone unanswered.
Shifting strategy
The provincial Ministry of Education said it is shifting its childcare strategy from rapid expansion to stabilizing and sustaining the early learning and child care system while maintaining affordability for families, and that the changes were developed following consultations with childcare providers and are intended to strengthen the sector's long-term viability.
Effective Wednesday, July 1, the government introduced several changes aimed at improving the sector’s long-term viability. Those measures include limiting tuition-free funding for Early Childhood Educator training to Level I certification while continuing tuition reimbursement for employed educators pursuing Level II and III credentials.
The Ministry said recent changes to the province's early learning and child care system are necessary to ensure its long-term sustainability, despite criticism from the Opposition over rising costs for some families and providers.
In a statement, the Ministry said the province is committed to affordable child care for Saskatchewan families. It will shift its focus from rapidly expanding licensed spaces to stabilizing the existing Early Learning and Child Care system.
"To protect and sustain a strong Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) system, we are shifting from rapid expansion to a focus on stabilization and sustainability for the operators and families," the Education Ministry said.
The province, which also raised concerns about federal funding shortfalls, is prioritizing the creation of new licensed child care spaces in communities where demand has been identified, rather than expanding capacity more broadly across Saskatchewan.
The federal government recently announced $5.4 billion over two years for Canada's childcare system, Saskatchewan says the funding is intended to address existing financial pressures rather than support further expansion. As a result, the province maintains that the July 1 policy changes are still necessary to ensure the system's long-term sustainability.
