Moe promises to create 750 more child-care spaces in the province in the next 4 years

Saskatchewan Party leader Scott Moe is promising to create 750 new child-care spaces over the next four years if the party is re-elected.

"Two hundred and thirty of these child-care spaces will be located in the new schools we are building," Moe said while campaigning in Prince Albert on Monday. "The other 520 new child-care spaces will be home-based care spaces."

Moe said his party would also increase supports for licensed home-based child-care space beginning in the the 2022-23 budget.

Those include:

• One-time start-up grant for new licensed home-based child-care spaces would increase to $500 per home;
• The monthly nutrition grant for all licensed home-based child-care spaces would increase by $20 per month per space, from $60 to $80;
• The annual equipment grant for all licensed home-based child-care spaces would be doubled to $300.

Moe said it will cost $9.7 million over four years for the new spaces and supports.

According to the Sask. Party there are currently about 2,320 licensed home-based child-care spaces in Saskatchewan.

Moe also pledged to revive the Active Families Benefit.

The Sask. Party had axed the benefit in its 2016-17 budget, saying the move would save the government $5.5 million per year.

The revivedbenefit would give families $150 per child to cover costs related to sports, arts or cultural activities.

Children with a disability would receive a benefit of $200 per year.

"We know that one of the best ways to ensure families are strong and healthy is to encourage kids to get involved in sports, encourage our children to get involved in the arts as well as other cultural activities that are available to us," Moe said.

The benefit will be limited to families with an income of $60,000 or less. It would begin in the 2021-22 budget with about 20,000 families eligible at a cost of $5.7 million per year.

"We think it makes sense to target the support to families who require it the most," he said.