Following Saskatchewan’s recent provincial budget, analysis shows the province still has among the worst levels of provincial funding for child care in Canada.
A January 2026 article by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), using 2022-2023 data, ranks Saskatchewan last among provinces in provincial investment in early learning and child care.
In January 2026, CUPE Saskatchewan wrote to Minister Hindley ahead of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) ministers’ meeting, urging the Sask. Party government to increase provincial funding for child care beyond the 3% annual investment growth from the federal government slated to begin in 2027.
“A less than 3% increase for child care – largely driven by federal funding – is not the provincial investment Saskatchewan families deserve,” said Kent Peterson, president of CUPE Saskatchewan.
While further analysis is underway, CUPE Saskatchewan is questioning whether this increase reflects any new provincial investment or if it continues the pattern of relying almost entirely on federal funding, as has been the case since the CWELCC agreement came into effect in 2021.
“This government needs to stop relying solely on federal dollars to fund child care and start properly investing in the future of Saskatchewan,” added Peterson. “Investing in Saskatchewan’s children means investing in the workers who care for them.”
As outlined in its earlier letter to the Minister, CUPE Saskatchewan will continue to pressure the provincial government to:
- Increase provincial funding for early learning and child care beyond the 3% annual federal funding.
- Initiate a bargaining process with child care workers and their unions to create a province-wide wage grid that improves wages and provides pension and benefits.
- Ensure public funds support public and non-profit operators, including using public buildings such as schools, community centres, and libraries, to house child care services.
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