Moving Forward: Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan sign an agreement on Early Learning and Child Care

REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN— Prime Minister Paul Martin and Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert, along with Social Development Minister Ken Dryden, Saskatchewan's Minister of Community Resources and Employment, Joanne Crofford, and Saskatchewan's Minister of Learning, Andrew Thomson, announced today an historic Agreement in Principle that will support the development of quality early learning and child care (ELCC) for young children and their families in Saskatchewan. Prime Minister Martin and Minister Dryden were in Winnipeg earlier today to announce a similar agreement with the Government of Manitoba.

The Agreement in Principle sets out a long-term vision, principles, and goals to guide the development of regulated early learning and child care for children under six. The agreement articulates the Government of Canada and Government of Saskatchewan's shared vision for early learning and child care and describes specific objectives and investments to achieve this vision. Also, the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan will work with other provinces and territories to develop knowledge and information that will contribute to more effective early learning and child care programming. As part of this Agreement in Principle, the Government of Canada will work with Saskatchewan and other interested provincial and territorial governments to develop a National Quality Framework.

"The surest measure of a forward-looking society is the effort it makes to help its youngest citizens," said Prime Minister Martin. "This Agreement in Principle between Canada and Saskatchewan moves us closer to a shared vision for early learning and child care. More agreements will follow. Decades ago, it was a series of such agreements that led to the creation of Medicare in Canada—a program that now helps to define us as Canadians."

As announced in previous federal-provincial-territorial meetings on ELCC, this initiative will be guided by the QUAD principles: quality, universal inclusiveness, accessibility, and development.

"Our vision is to ensure that all Saskatchewan children enjoy a good start in life, and are nurtured and supported by caring families and communities," Premier Calvert said. "Today's agreement reflects the value that families place on the development of their children, and the importance of gaining better access to early learning and child care services. This agreement also mirrors the establishment of Medicare in Canada. From that small beginning in Saskatchewan, a system has developed that is part of the fabric of Canadian society, and is at the heart of social policy."

"Parents in Saskatchewan can be confident that their children will receive high-quality, inclusive, accessible, and developmental programs that best meet their needs," said Minister Dryden. "Today, we signed Agreements in Principle with two provinces. I expect that over the coming weeks, we will conclude Agreements in Principle with other provincial and territorial governments."

Over the next five years, with financial support from the Government of Canada, Saskatchewan will build on existing strengths to develop an integrated early learning and child care system so that families and children will benefit from higher quality, more developmental programs, and so that there will be more early learning and child care opportunities. Saskatchewan will attain these objectives by making investments in its community-based early learning and child care sector and by supporting innovative programming that integrates early learning and child care with community and school-based programs and services. Saskatchewan will develop and release an action plan on early learning and child care by December 2005, after significant consultations with parents, early childhood educators, child care providers, the education sector, and other stakeholders.

"This is the beginning of a made-in-Saskatchewan, comprehensive system that will benefit our most important citizens, our children. Along with my colleague, the Honourable Andrew Thomson, Minister of Learning, I want to emphasize that our collective goals are to ensure that children have the best possible early learning and child care experiences provided by well-trained staff and that families have the support and assistance they need to raise healthy children," Saskatchewan's Minister Crofford said.

Saskatchewan will continue to report publicly on early learning and child care, so that its citizens can track progress.

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Agreement in principle - http://www.sdc.gc.ca/en/cs/comm/sd/messages/2005/PCO_Saskatchewan_e.pdf

For more information:

PMO Press Office
(613) 957-5555

Sarah Bain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Social Development
(613) 941-0766

Herman Hulshof
Saskatchewan Community Resources and Employment
(306) 787-0916

Jacquie McLean
Saskatchewan Learning
(306) 787-5609

Media Relations
Social Development Canada
(613) 941-1110
Web site: http://www.sdc.gc.ca/