SWIFT CURRENT — The Saskatchewan NDP says a recent extension of the Canada–Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement is leaving some families behind, including those with children who recently turned six.
The issue was once again discussed at a media event in Swift Current on Wednesday, where NDP education critic Matt Love raised concerns about how the program’s eligibility rules affect some families.
The extension, signed in November 2025, allows Saskatchewan to offer $10-a-day childcare for children up to and including age six. To qualify, children must turn six on or after April 1, 2026.
“Back in November, our current education minister and Swift Current MLA, Everett Hindley, shared with parents and child-care providers that under the new deal, six-year-olds would be included,” Love said. “The result is that families in Saskatchewan, right here in Swift Current, are being left with the bill.”
Love said his office has heard from parents across the province whose children are no longer eligible.
“We heard from families from right here in town and across the province who are stuck with a child-care bill that will be hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars more for their six-year-olds, despite what the education minister said,” he said. “These families trusted him and budgeted accordingly, and they’re now stuck with a bill they simply can’t afford. We know that access to affordable childcare is a crucial part of giving children a good start in life.”
Because the extension is not retroactive, children who turned six between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2026, are not covered.
SaskToday contacted several child-care operators in Swift Current but did not receive comments.
Jay Kimball, a Swift Current parent, and child and family advocate, said many families he knows rely on the $10-a-day rate.
“It’s just incredibly unfair for some families to be left behind at this time,” Kimball said. “It’s really hard raising kids, and it’s an expensive time for us. And this deal doesn’t just impact families in Swift Current but across the province.”
One more change to the program is scheduled for the 2026-27 school year. Under the agreement between the federal and provincial governments, all kindergarten-age children — six and under — who are in regulated care will be eligible for $10-a-day child care for the full school year. The current agreement runs until March 31, 2031.
