A new national report shows Saskatchewan is lagging behind many other provinces in the growth of regulated early learning and child care spaces, even as Canada continues expanding services under its $10-a-day child care program.
The Interim Space Statistics 2024 report from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit found that Saskatchewan added fewer than 1,900 regulated spaces for children up to age 12 between 2019 and 2024 — one of the lowest increases in the country.
By comparison, British Columbia saw a net gain of more than 54,000 spaces, while Alberta added nearly 36,000. Manitoba added over 5,800 during the same period.
The report notes that Saskatchewan increased its total number of spaces by just over 1,000 in 2023. The province now has enough licensed spaces to cover 17 per cent of children aged zero to five — below the Canadian average of 23 per cent.
Growth was uneven across the country, with some provinces seeing sharp increases while others remained flat or declined. Ontario recorded the highest net gain in the country, with more than 76,000 new spaces.
Saskatchewan, like other jurisdictions, signed onto the federal Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement in 2021. Since then, the province has committed to expanding access through new spaces, wage enhancements and capital funding.
Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Education has announced plans to allocate 5,500 new spaces in the 2024-25 fiscal year, part of its goal to meet federal targets for access and affordability. The spaces are to be created through both community and private operators, including home-based care.
The report also points out that many provinces — including Saskatchewan — have introduced fee reductions or capped daily rates under $10 as part of their CWELCC funding agreements. The province reached its goal of an average of $10-a-day regulated care by April 1.
The report notes that further analysis, including the impact of capital funding, wage initiatives and Indigenous-led programming, will be included in the full Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada report expected in December 2025.
Despite the slower growth rate in Saskatchewan, advocates say long-term success will depend not just on space creation, but also workforce stability, training, infrastructure investment and equity in rural and northern regions.
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