Some Saskatchewan $10-a-day childcare centres adding extra fees

Provincial childcare centres are beginning to announce new fees under the $10-a-day program to help offset operating expenses. Wayne Mantyka reports.

Some Saskatchewan families enrolled in the province’s $10-a-day childcare program will soon be paying more, as childcare providers introduce additional monthly fees to offset rising operating costs.

The Regina YMCA, one of the province’s largest childcare providers, says it will begin charging an additional $90 per month this fall for families using its licensed childcare centres.

“We’re simply not able to keep pace with the costs and our program was on course for a $650,000 cash deficit,” said Regina YMCA CEO Steve Compton.

“Our choice was within what was available to us was to introduce it under the fundraising and administrative fees that we share with our parent families this morning.”

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Other childcare providers like Dream Big Child Care says they’re also introducing additional charges after the provincial government approved a new policy allowing facilities to collect extra revenue starting Aug. 1.

“We’ll have fees that are added on top of the core fees. It’s not what anybody wanted to do and it’s a heartbreaking decision to have to make,” said Cara Werner of Dream Big Child Care.

The Saskatchewan NDP says the added fees are a result of inadequate government funding.

“They’re in very precarious financial situations and that’s what they have to do fundraising to make this happen and this is a schedule of fundraising and fees that this organization is going to have to charge simply to remain financially viable,” said NDP MLA Joan Pratchler.

According to a statement from the province, several changes will be implemented beginning July 1, including allowing providers additional revenue options, establishing a standard 10-hour childcare day with fees permitted for care beyond those hours, redirecting some funding towards operating costs, prioritizing new childcare spaces in high-need areas and increasing grants for facilities with the lowest parent fees.

“The Federal funding shortfall remains an issue that Saskatchewan continues to discuss with the federal government. As a result of this ongoing work, on June 19, 2026, the federal government announced $5.4 billion in additional funding over two years for the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) system across Canada,” the statement read.

The province says the new policies remain necessary despite the federal funding announcement and are intended to ensure the childcare system remains sustainable over the long term.