The future of $10-a-day child care in Saskatchewan is uncertain once the current agreement expires on March 31, 2026. The federal government has announced an additional $36.8 billion over five years, starting in 2026-27 but Saskatchewan is one of only two provinces who has not signed a renewal agreement.
“Scott Moe is leaving approximately 1 billion dollars for affordability measures on the table. This decision ultimately hurts families and workers, and will certainty hurt the economy,” said Kent Peterson, president of CUPE Saskatchewan. “What is Scott Moe even doing right now? He has been missing on his response to recent tariffs, and now he is missing in action on child care.”
CUPE represents childcare workers at several facilities across Saskatchewan. The childcare agreement provided funding for parents to access affordable publicly funded child care, and earmarked money for increasing wages for childcare workers. Without wage top-ups from the federal funding, early childhood education workers across the province will lose income. A backgrounder from Employment and Social Development Canada estimates annual savings per child in Saskatchewan to be $6,900 since the program was implemented.
Michelle Jerg is a childcare worker at Yorkton’s Accent on Kids Early Learning and Childcare Center. She has spent the last several years upgrading her education in order to qualify for the wage top-up. If Saskatchewan doesn’t sign on to the federal agreement, Michelle is one of many workers uncertain about her future.
“I have been in this field for 26 years. I have watched the price of groceries, utilities, supplies, housing etc. go up and I’ve even seen childcare prices go down,” said Jerg. “With the threat of the $10 dollar a day child care and wage enhancements being pulled, childcare workers like me may be facing wage cuts. We need the government to invest in child care right now.”
CUPE is calling for Scott Moe to immediately work with the federal government to renew Saskatchewan’s Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.