REGINA -- The Government of Saskatchewan has announced that school daycares will be re-purposed to provide childcare for healthcare workers and other essential services related to COVID-19.
This will come into effect on March 23.
“We thank the child care 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. “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.”
Healthcare and other response workers will be given priority, 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 of the Ministry of Social Services
- Childcare centre employees
- Essential employees for Saskatchewan’s Crown Corporations
- Essential police and fire employees
This is subject to change
Daycares not located in schools are permitted to remain open.
