Released on April 8, 2008
Education Minister Ken Krawetz today announced the expansion of the Province's prekindergarten program by 38 at a total cost of $2 million and a total of $3 million in grants to the child care sector across the province to improve learning environments for children in their programs.
"Our government recognizes the importance of providing vulnerable children with high quality learning opportunities in their early years," Krawetz said. "That is why we have invested an additional $2 million this year in prekindergarten to increase the number of programs by 38 bringing the total number in the province to 193 serving over 3,000 children. With this expansion, about 600 more children and their families will benefit from a prekindergarten experience during these critical years when the foundations for future learning and behaviour are built."
Prekindergarten programs provide vulnerable children with developmentally appropriate programming that focuses on fostering social development and self esteem; nurturing educational growth and school success; promoting language development and engaging families.
Discussions are currently underway with school divisions regarding the location of the new prekindergarten programs.
"Research tells us a learning environment that is responsive to a child's interests will dramatically affect a child's learning," Krawetz said. "The environment grant announced today will assist the early learning and child care sector to enhance learning environments to improve our children's experiences in these centres."
The one-time grant will be provided to over 640 licensed child care facilities, prekindergarten programs, Early Childhood Intervention Programs and KidsFirst targeted sites to purchase high quality resources, materials, equipment and furniture to enhance learning for children and their families.
"The environment grant will allow educators to open doors to 'create best practices' to build environments that stimulate learning," Sacred Heart prekindergarten teacher Jean Landry said. "It will enable our prekindergarten program to purchase items that will enhance the children's creativity and critical thinking as they explore and discover the wonders of the world around them."
These funds were allocated by March 31, 2008 and have been made available to:
- Licensed child care centres at $240/licensed space;
- Ministry approved prekindergarten programs at $7,000/classroom;
- Licensed family child care homes and group family child care homes at $1,000/home;
- Early Childhood Intervention Programs (ECIPs) at $3,500/program; and
- KidsFirst targeted sites at $3,500/program.
The Minister made the announcement in Moose Jaw at the Sacred Heart Community School Prekindergarten in Holy Trinity Roman Catholic School Division which received a total of $21,000 to enhance the learning environment in three prekindergartens.
For a detailed listing by community of all licensed early learning and child care centres and school divisions to receive environment grants please visit the website at www.gov.sk.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Jacquie McLean
Education
Regina
Phone: 306-787-5609
Email: jmclean@sasked.gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-535-2261