Statement from Kent Peterson, CUPE Saskatchewan President:
“Scott Moe’s child care cuts break the promise of $10-a-day child care and will cost families and workers more.
“Restricting tuition free training to Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Level I will make staffing shortages worse, puts centres at risk of failing certification requirements of ECE II and ECE III staffing levels, and limit career advancement opportunities.
“Despite already falling short of its child care space targets, as documented by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the Sask. Party has chosen to freeze the creation of new spaces.
“Instead of providing real funding, Moe is introducing extended hours fees. By redefining what counts as ‘core’ child care services, this government is backing away from $10 a day child care and forcing operators to pass new costs onto parents. For a system already on life support, this could mean hundreds of dollars more each month for families.
“Affordable child care should not come with an asterisk. Saskatchewan families need real investment, not backdoor fees.”
CUPE is Saskatchewan’s child care union, representing more than 300 child care workers in the province and over 12,000 across the country.
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