Sue Delanoy has been advocating for affordable child care in Saskatchewan for three decades.
On Friday, when the provincial and federal governments signed a deal that could bring $10-a-day child care to Saskatchewan, she was over the moon.
“We’re absolutely elated and we really feel this is such a huge win for Saskatchewan,” said Delanoy, a spokesperson for Child Care Now Saskatchewan.
Delanoy said she’s delighted a plan is now in place for working families to better access care for their children.
“We’re celebrating today,” she said. “The devil’s in the details right now. How this looks, how we implement it all, is going to be really interesting to watch and see how this happens.”
Delanoy highlighted the immediate reduction in costs expected for families and the increase in child-care spots in the province. The deal calls for the creation of 28,000 new spaces over the next five years.
“(It’s) unbelievable,” she said. “Right now, we only have about 17,000 spaces in the province. Can you imagine almost doubling that?”
The plan is a joint venture between the federal and provincial governments, with a goal of providing $10-a-day child care to Saskatchewan families by the end of 2026.