Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement

Excerpted from agreement

1.0 Vision for Canada-wide early learning and child care

1.1 Canada will be guided by the long-term vision and objectives set out in the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework (hereinafter the “Framework”) that is attached as Annex 1 in making investments in ELCC committed in Budget 2021 across jurisdictions. Canada and Saskatchewan agree that the long-term vision and objectives for Canada-wide ELCC system set out in the Framework will guide the investment of funds provided under this Agreement. This includes the vision that all families in Canada have access to high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care no matter where they live.

1.2 Canada and Saskatchewan aspire to the following objectives:

a) providing a 50% reduction in average parent fees for regulated ELCC by the end of 2022 and reaching an average of $10 a day by fiscal year 2025 to 2026 for all regulated child care spaces

b) creating more high-quality, affordable regulated child care spaces, primarily through not-for-profit and public child care, and family home-based child care providers

c) addressing barriers to provide inclusive and flexible child care

d) valuing the early childhood workforce and providing them with training and development opportunities

1.3 Canada and Saskatchewan agree that progress toward this vision will be undertaken by prioritizing federal investments in support of regulated early learning and child care and for children under age 6.

2.0 Canada-wide early learning and child care objectives and areas of investment

2.1    Objectives

2.1.1 Canada and Saskatchewan commit to the following objectives, with “regulated” as defined in section 2.2.1(a):

Affordability:

• Saskatchewan commits to using federal funding to reduce out-of-pocket parent fees for regulated ELCC spaces for children under age 6 by an average of 50% from 2019 levels by the end of 2022
• Saskatchewan commits to using federal funding to reduce out-of-pocket parent fees for full-time regulated  ELCC spaces for children under age 6 to an average of $10/day by the end of fiscal year 2025 to 2026

Access:

Saskatchewan commits to using federal funding to increase the net number of regulated child care spaces for children under age 6 to achieve a coverage rate of 59% by fiscal year 2025 to 2026.

In creating these child care spaces, Saskatchewan commits that:

• federal funding will be used exclusively to support not-for-profit, public child care providers/operations, as well as family-based child care
• federal funding will be exclusively used to support regulated child care delivery by licensed providers

Quality:

Saskatchewan commits to use federal funds to demonstrate meaningful progress on improving quality, including:

• developing and implementing evidence based quality frameworks, standards, and tools for early learning and child care
• developing a wage grid for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and committing to its implementation
• increasing the percentage of child care workers providing regulated child care in Saskatchewan who fully meet the province’s certification requirements by 15% points by fiscal year 2025 to 2026

Inclusive:

Saskatchewan commits to develop and fund a plan to ensure that new space creation ensures diverse and/or vulnerable children and families – including children with disabilities and children needing enhanced or individual supports, Indigenous children, Black and other racialized children, children of newcomers, and official language minorities – have spaces equivalent to or greater than their share of the population in Saskatchewan.

In supporting inclusive child care, Saskatchewan commits:

• to track the number of inclusive spaces with inclusive programming created/converted as well as the annual public expenditures on child care programming dedicated to children from diverse and/or vulnerable families

Data sharing and reporting:

Saskatchewan commits to share financial and administrative data (including micro data) needed to monitor progress in establishing the Canada-wide system

2.1.2   Saskatchewan’s policy and approach to achieving these objectives is set out in its Action Plan attached as Annex 2.

2.2   Eligible areas of investment

2.2.1   Saskatchewan agrees to use funds provided by Canada under this Agreement to support the expansion of regulated child care, and prioritize not-for-profit (including publically delivered and family home child care) early learning and child care programs and services,for children under the age of 6, where:

a) regulated programs and services are defined as those that meet standards that are established and/or monitored by provincial/territorial governments and Indigenous governing bodies and authorities

b) not-for-profit providers/operations, which includes publically delivered operations, are defined as those that provide child care services to a community for a purpose other than generating a profit, typically improving family and/or child well-being and/or development. Providers may generate a profit, but the surplus earnings, or other resources, are directed towards improving child care services rather than distributed for the personal benefit of owners, members, investors or to enhance asset growth. Early learning and child care programs and services are defined as those supporting direct care and early learning for children in settings including, but not limited to, regulated child care centres, regulated family child care homes, early learning centres, preschools and nursery schools

2.2.2 In developing and delivering its ELCC programs and services, Saskatchewan agrees to take into account the needs of official language minority communities in its jurisdiction.

2.2.3 Acceptable investments under this Agreement may include, but are not limited to: capital and operating funding for regulated ELCC; fee subsidies; training, professional development and support for the early childhood workforce; quality assurance; parent information and referrals; and certain administration costs incurred by Saskatchewan to support the growth and expansion of the child care system, and the implementation and administration of this Agreement.

2.2.4 Canada and Saskatchewan also agree to promote, define, and deliver innovative approaches to enhance the quality, access, affordability, flexibility, and inclusivity of ELCC systems, with consideration for those more in need.

2.2.5 Canada and Saskatchewan agree that funding will be targeted toward regulated programs and activities, as described in section 2.2.1 to 2.2.4 for children under age 6, that will have an impact on families, including families more in need such as lower-income families, Indigenous families, lone-parent families, and families in underserved communities, including Black and racialized families; families of children with disabilities and children needing enhanced or individual supports; and families with caregivers who are working non-standard hours. Needs also include having limited or no access to ELCC programs and services in the children’s official language.