Fees for regulated childcare in Sask. decreasing in September

Federal funding coming for child care in Sask. WATCH: Taylor Rattray has the details on an announcement from the provincial and federal governments on childcare in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan families with children under six years old will be paying less for regulated childcare starting in September.

With a fee reduction taking effect on Sept. 1, the Government of Saskatchewan said a family with an infant in full-time regulated childcare can expect to pay up to $550 less per month than they paid in January 2022. The province said that represents an average 70 per cent reduction.

The province noted childcare homes and centres set their own fees, so costs may vary by family.

The fee reduction is part of an agreement between the federal and provincial governments that pledged to bring childcare costs down to an average of $10 per day by 2025-26.

The federal government said it would invest nearly $1.1 billion as part of the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

The province said there are approximately 16,000 regulated childcare spaces for children under the age of six in Saskatchewan.