Excerpts
In her 2025 Report – Volume 2, Chapter 10, Provincial Auditor Tara Clemett audited the Ministry of Education’s processes to achieve the accessibility outcome of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with the Federal Government, which aims to provide families with high-quality, affordable, accessible, and inclusive child care for children under age six. She made four recommendations.
Under the Agreement, Saskatchewan needs to reach a 59% child care coverage rate target by March 31, 2026, or about 46,000 total licensed child care spaces. As of March 2025, the coverage rate was 49% province wide. The Ministry’s reported total of 41,163 spaces includes 7,635 still under development, which may not all materialize, thereby increasing the risk the Ministry does not meet its target by March 2026.
The Ministry needs better data tracking and analysis to guide decisions on allocating child care spaces and managing early childhood educator supply. The Ministry has not consulted with post-secondary institutions to ensure enough students are enrolled in early childhood educator training. It also does not track the extent of approved spaces being utilized.
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We found the Ministry also needs an ongoing, sustainable funding model for the provision of licensed child care in Saskatchewan. Without adequate and reliable funding, providers may change quality of care, have to seek cost savings, or close, thereby limiting child care access.
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