The Government of Saskatchewan is repurposing child care facilities in schools to provide services for health care employees.
Beginning March 23, child care centres in schools will give priority to the children of staff in health care and other pandemic response workers. The centres are closed to clients and parents who use these facilities will be contacted by their childcare providers. Centres not located in schools are able to operate as normal and the government will continue to fund them.
“We know the impact this change has on families but during these times we are looking for everyone to contribute to the support for the broad community response to the COVID-19 virus,” Education Minister Gordon Wyant says.
The list of eligible people for the emergency and pandemic response child care spaces, which is subject to change, includes:
- Employees directly related to providing essential services in health care including employees working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, community and primary health, home care, personal care homes, labs, pharmacies, COVID-19 assessment and testing sites, scheduling departments, and payroll departments including nurses, physicians and physician clinic staff, emergency medical services staff, and other staff essential to the operations of these facilities/departments.
- Employees working directly in child protection, income assistance, and community living connected to the Ministry of Social Services
- Employees working directly in residential services connected to the Ministry of Social Services
- Child care centre employees of licensed child care facilities
- Employees directly related to providing essential services in SaskPower, SaskEnergy, SaskTel, water and wastewater management
- Employees directly related to providing essential services for police and fire.
Employees looking to use these services can fill out an application on the government’s website.