“The importance of early childhood education cannot be understated,” Deputy Premier and Education Minister Gordon Wyant said. “This is an opportunity to show our appreciation to those who support Saskatchewan families by delivering care and education to our province’s early learners.”
The Saskatchewan Early Childhood Association (SECA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to high-quality early learning, as well as the growth and development of young children in Saskatchewan.
“It is important to take the time to properly thank those who dedicate their lives to the care and education of our young children,” SECA Executive Director Georgia Siourounis said. “Early childhood educators work hard to provide safe and loving environments where they can have a positive influence on a child’s life.”
The Government of Saskatchewan has been pleased to further invest in early learning and child care programs that benefit Saskatchewan families and early childhood educators.
As part of the 2019-20 Budget, the Ministry of Education has invested $57.6 million toward expanding child care spaces and early years educational programming opportunities across Saskatchewan. This includes $750,000 for the operation of Family Resource Centres, where families with young children can go to access reliable information, services, supports and advice. A total of $4.3 million will be invested in Early Childhood Intervention Programs (ECIPs) across Saskatchewan. ECIP and KidsFirst programs will both also benefit from $709,000 intended for salaries at these and other community-based organizations.
Through the Canada-Saskatchewan Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, $15 million will be invested in Saskatchewan in 2019-20 for the creation of nearly 1,300 more child care spaces, the opening of seven more Family Resource Centres, an expansion of the Early Learning Intensive Support pilot program into five additional communities and increased funding to provide more training opportunities for early childhood educators.