Canada and Saskatchewan Continues to put Families First by Extending the Canada-Saskatchewan Early Learning and Child Care Agreements

CANADA, November 28 - Released on November 28, 2025

Today, Education Minister Everett Hindley and Secretary of State (Rural Development) Buckley Belanger, on behalf of Canada’s Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister Responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency of Ontario, Patty Hajdu, announced the extension of the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement for another five years, starting in 2026-2027.

The newly negotiated extension reinforces Saskatchewan's commitment to building an early learning and child care (ELCC) system guided by a shared vision with Canada focused on quality, affordability and access.

“Affordable child care is an economic tool that helps Saskatchewan grow,” Hajdu said. “When parents can find good, reliable child care, they can work, train, or build a business. That helps families earn more and helps the whole province stay competitive. In Saskatchewan, lower fees are saving families thousands of dollars and keeping more people in the workforce. We will keep working with partners to protect and expand these spaces so every child can learn, and every family can plan for a strong future.”

"This agreement reflects the needs of Saskatchewan families and supports the flexibility of our child care landscape," Hindley said. "Since 2021, we have created thousands of new spaces and reduced fees to $10 a day. We will continue to build on that tremendous progress to deliver affordable, high-quality care and support the dedicated professionals who make it possible."

Also extended are the Canada-Saskatchewan Bilateral Early Learning and Child Care Agreement for another five years, starting in 2026-2027, and the Infrastructure Fund for an additional year, until 2026-2027.

The extended agreements include expanded age eligibility so that children in child care who turn six while attending Kindergarten can continue to receive $10 a day care until they complete the school year.

This multi-year federal investment of $1.6 billion will continue improving access and affordability to early learning programs and child care for children and families in Saskatchewan. Base funding for early learning and child care programs will increase by three per cent (via an escalator) per year for four years starting in 2027-2028. Saskatchewan has created more than 91 per cent of the 28,000 additional child care spaces targeted in the initial agreement with the federal government in 2021 and was the third province to reduce child care fees to $10 a day.

Saskatchewan is also committed to attracting, retaining and growing a strong and skilled workforce of Early Childhood Education (ECE) professionals. From April 2021 to September 2025, over $171 million in provincial and federal funding has supported a made-in-Saskatchewan approach, including:

• Wage enhancements of up to $8.85 per hour for certified ECEs working in regulated child care;
• Workforce enhancement grants for recruitment and retention initiatives;
• Tuition-free training and professional development for ECEs; and
• Bursaries and grants to support individuals to take training.

The extension of the Canada-Saskatchewan Early Learning and Child Care Agreements is an important step in Canada and Saskatchewan’s continued work together to ensure accessible, affordable and high-quality child care.

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