Early learning centres left out in the cold, asking for help from province

Early learning and child-care centres are tired of being ignored when it comes time to hand out the thanks — and the help — for those working during the pandemic.

Jennifer Kostur, the education co-ordinator for the South Saskatchewan Directors for Early Learning, said early learning and child-care centres have been open throughout the past nine months and they’ve been working hard but have got almost no help from the provincial government.

Kostur said the government treats them like an essential service.

“Yet we don’t receive any guidance or support or thank you for being an essential service,” said Kostur.

“We provide the best care that we possibly can with limited resources and we’re forced to make changes all the time with no extra notice when schools close. But yet we are just as concerned as the school boards and the teachers are over the physical and mental health of the children and our staff and our families.”

On Monday, the province announced $2 million in funding which will go to child-care facilities in the province — a one-time grant of $100 per child-care space coming from the Federal Safe Start Agreement.

Kostur said that money is nowhere near enough.

“Between March and now, nine months into the pandemic, most centres have expended far more than what they’re going to receive from this grant in COVID-related expenses,” said Kostur.

In Kostur’s case, the grant would add up to about $5,000.

Kostur said the province was given $18 million by the federal government, earmarked for child care, but this week’s announcement is only $2 million of that. Kostur asked where the rest of the money is.

The Ministry of Education said the province will continue looking at ways to support early learning with the remaining funds.

Among the public health orders currently in effect is one which reduces the number of kids allowed in a child-care space. Kostur said because of that, fees are down and centres are trying to run with more cleaning procedures and supplies, but with less money.

Kostur said actually finding the supplies needed is a problem. She said that, at the beginning of the pandemic, directors were driving around from store to store, trying to find simple things like cleaner and hand sanitizer.

The Ministry of Education made a point of allocating money and helping school divisions find personal protective equipment, but Kostur said when she tried to get help from the Ministry of Education, she was told that sourcing cleaning materials and PPE was something she and the other centre directors would have to figure out on their own.

“I was told that was up to me to figure out,” she said. “There was no assistance from them.”

When they are able to find what they need, like a box of rubber gloves, Kostur said the price is significantly higher — from $75 to $193 in the case of the gloves.

Kostur said there’s a lot of fear among staff and directors in early learning centres. Staff are afraid of the virus and bringing it home to their families, and they’re afraid their jobs will be gone if the centre has to close.

“Our staff are burned out. They’re overworked, they’re underpaid and they live in constant fear and anxiety. They’re working long hours every single day. They don’t receive professional development days or convention days, and working from home is 100 per cent impossible for them,” said Kostur.

Workers at licensed child-care facilities were included in a $400-per-month temporary wage top-up at the beginning of the pandemic in a partnership between the federal and provincial governments. It lasted 3 1/2 months from mid-March to early July and was only available to workers who made less than $2,500 per month.

Kostur said there is constant uncertainty and unknown looming over directors. They don’t know how they’ll have enough staff to cover sick days and self-isolation days and whether they’ll have enough money to pay for it all.

The Ministry of Education did not provide anyone for an interview about these concerns but did provide a statement.

“The Government of Saskatchewan understands child care is a vital support and appreciates Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) for their dedication and service during the pandemic,” read the statement.

It went on to mention the grant that was announced Monday. It also said the province is looking at other ways to support the sector and has been working with the Saskatchewan Early Childhood Association.