Left, Shadow Minister for Childcare Joan Pratchler sits with Jodene Demorest, exec. director of the Prince Albert Childcare Co-operative. (Susan McNeil/paNOW Staff)

By Susan McNeil

Daycare delay

NDP questions impact in delay of daycare deal

Mar 14, 2025 | 5:00 PM

The provincial NDP is questioning how long it will take the province to sign an updated affordable daycare deal with the federal government.

Regina MLA and Shadow Minister for Childcare Joan Pratchler met with multiple Prince Albert daycares on Friday to learn about the need for spaces and the ripple effect of not having agreements formalized.

“From what I’ve seen over the last month and a half, is that it’s just precarious because the agreement hasn’t been extended so they’re not sure if they’re going to have childcare,” said Pratchler.

“We’ve had…quite a few operators saying we’ve used up all our reserves.”

The lack of certainty is weighing on parents as well as operators.

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“Since 2021 things have gone up, so they’re chewing up their reserves to be able to operate. That makes parents nervous, that makes families nervous, it makes communities nervous,” Pratchler said.

Premier Scott Moe has said that the agreement will be signed and, while in Prince Albert last week, said that his government is just finalizing some of the details needed to make the funding model work in Saskatchewan.

Pratchler questioned how the deal will be signed in the next short while as the federal government is not sitting and given the change in leadership as Mark Carney was sworn in on Friday, thinks it could be a little while longer.

The funding flows in a certain way for the $10/day care program. The federal and provincial governments fund the daycare’s expenses through Sask Education, except for the last $10 which is billed to the parents.

The deals are signed periodically so in the time in between, daycares pay for any changes out of their previous dollars.

The Prince Albert Childcare Co-operative has been offering childcare in the city for over 50 years and said that despite having a large number of spaces, another three or 400 are needed.

Without signed deals in place, daycares find it almost impossible to even get a mortgage to expand their spaces with additional or new buildings, something that doesn’t sit well when Saskatchewan daycares know they need to expand.

In a daycare desert, as the situation across Saskatchewan has been described, the wait lists are very long.

Executive Director Jodene Demorest said that the need for more spaces in the city is high.

“We opened four additional locations, just because of the need. It’s always been a need, even before the first agreement,” she said.

“There have been a few (budget) increases along the way, but it is a very, very tight budget.”

When there is not enough money, the daycare is forced to cut back in some areas.

Her organization has opened 150 spots and she knows another 200 are in development.

“I know the demand in Prince Albert is very, very high. It’s affordable, not accessible,” said Demorest.

As part of the runup to the resumption of the Legislature on Tuesday, the NDP members have been visiting ridings around the province.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social