St. Francis School. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By paNOW Staff

COVID-19

Government announces change to childcare facilities in schools

Mar 20, 2020 | 11:08 AM

The Government of Saskatchewan is making a notable change to childcare facilities in schools.

According to a media release, starting on Monday the facilities will be repurposed to provide childcare services to support the staff in health care, and other staff providing services in the pandemic.

“We thank the childcare providers in schools for working with us during this extraordinary time to provide this essential service for our health care and other pandemic response service employees,” Deputy Premier and Education Minister Gordon Wyant said.

Priority will be given to those workers who have toddler, infant, preschool and school age children who need care for their children so the workers can keep providing services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of today, the centres in schools have been closed to clients and the parents who use those centres should receive that message directly from their childcare providers. Also, childcare centres not located in schools will be continue as normal and they will continue to receive government funding.

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The list of eligible people for the emergency and pandemic response childcare spaces 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.
• Childcare 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.

At this point these are subject to change and these employees are being made aware of these services by their employers. The employees who will be looking to use these services can fill out an application and find information on the process at www.saskatchewan.ca/coronavirus.

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panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow