200 MORE CHILD CARE SPACES IN SASKATCHEWAN

The Government of Saskatchewan is boosting the number of child care spaces available in the province this year by 200 through Child Care Saskatchewan, the largest child care expansion in provincial history. This will bring the total number of licensed child care spaces to 8100 by March 2005.

The province is currently working with child care service providers to develop and determine the location of these new spaces. They are part of the 1200 spaces being developed over four years through the Child Care Saskatchewan initiative, launched in March 2003.

"Our vision is for all Saskatchewan parents who work or go to school to have access in their community to high quality early learning and care services for their children," Premier Lorne Calvert said. "This second year of Child Care Saskatchewan continues our commitment to creating 1200 new licensed child care spaces in Saskatchewan over four years. It is also testament to the priority and focus this government places on children, our most precious resource."

A neighbourhood in north Regina now has a new facility with 30 licensed child care spaces as a direct result of Child Care Saskatchewan. The province is celebrating the success of Argyle Child Care, which was a collaboration of government and the community. The new facility has full enrolment just one week after opening its doors, a process that often takes much longer.

Child Care Saskatchewan supports the provincial government's commitment to early learning and care. The province is taking full advantage of federal early learning and care funding, along with some provincial dollars, to develop the 1200 spaces with a total investment of $13.4 million. The next two years of the initiative will each involve the development of 250 more child care spaces.

This year's provincial budget includes $600,000 to develop the 200 new spaces, with about half of those being subsidized. The province's child care budget has increased every year since 1992, with over $10 million in budget increases during that period.

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For More Information, Contact:

Janet Miller Community Resources and Employment Regina Phone: (306)787-0531