REGINA — Regulated childcare facilities across the province will now receive up to $3,200 per month for every child eligible under the Enhanced Accessibility (EA) Grant, an increase of $1,200.
The EA Grant, supported by the Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada, assists regulated childcare facilities in covering the additional costs associated with offering services to children who have intensive needs across various areas of development.
"We are listening to the sector and hearing their challenges on being able to offer specialized care," Education Minister Everett Hindley said. "This increase in funding will allow Saskatchewan childcare facilities to continue providing safe, inclusive child care for families of children with special needs."
The grant is provided directly to a regulated childcare facility and can be used to assist with the cost of additional staffing required to care for children with exceptionally high needs.
The number of children supported with the EA Grants can vary over time as more children enter regulated child care and require additional supports.
"This additional funding is a huge step to support our inclusive environments for children of all abilities," Natural Wonders Early Learning Centre Executive Director Sheila Paradis said.
"The increased demand for early learning services in our community has also increased the demand for inclusive services. This is a much-needed change and this increase will help us hire suitably educated inclusion supports who help children overcome challenges, improve their quality of life, impact educational outcomes and significantly influence lifelong success."
According to a press release, the ministry is committed to supporting childcare facilities in building their capacity to meet the needs of children with intensive needs. Supports include access to a tuition-free Autism Certificate of Achievement, tuition-free inclusion micro-credentials, the Building Inclusive Practices initiative and numerous online resources and learning modules in the ministry's Early Learning Portal to support inclusive practices.
A one-time Accessibility Rating Grant is now available to childcare centres to help identify barriers and create accessible spaces for all children using the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) assessment. The RHFAC is a national rating system that measures and certifies the level of meaningful access to buildings. The $12,500 grant will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis to childcare centres with an accessible entryway and experience supporting children with intensive needs.
