Bill SK-8 Amend Child Care Act 2014

Status: Royal Assent — May 13, 2025. This Bill is now law but is not yet in force — it comes into effect by Order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

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WHO GAINS POWER

• The Minister gains authority to approve a new category of child care facility — "alternative child care services centres" — with capacity limits and licensing requirements set entirely by regulation
• The Minister gains authority to approve "preschools" as a new licensed facility type — defined as care for under 3 hours per day per child
• The Minister gains authority to exempt licensees from parental involvement requirements if compliance would cause "undue hardship" — that standard is not defined in the Act
• Government gains authority to share licensee information — including personal information — with the federal government, its agencies and Crown corporations, without requiring parental consent

⚠️ Information sharing without parental consent — personal information provided by licensees to the Minister can be shared with the federal government and its agencies under an agreement or arrangement. No parental consent is required for this sharing. Consent is only required for additional health information beyond what is already mandated.

⚠️ Capacity limits set by regulation — the maximum number of children allowed in child care centres, alternative child care services centres and licensed preschools is not set in the Act. It is left entirely to regulation, meaning government can change those limits without a legislature vote.

WHO LOSES POWER

• Group family child care homes lose flexibility — the cap increases from 12 to 16 children, but the higher number now requires a licensed assistant aged 18 or older
• Unlicensed family child care homes and preschools remain permitted — but operators lose the ability to exceed 8 children without triggering licensing requirements
• Parents lose direct control over information sharing — licensee-held personal information can flow to the federal government without individual parental consent

WHO GAINS MONEY

• Child care operators gain access to a broader range of facility types — alternative centres and preschools open new funding and licensing pathways, including potential access to federal child care agreements
• Municipalities and co-operatives gain explicit eligibility to operate child care facilities without the profit-restriction that applies to individual operators

WHO LOSES MONEY

• No direct financial penalties in the Bill — existing penalty provisions in the parent Act apply

THE CATCH

⚠️ "Alternative child care services centre" is undefined beyond the label — what makes a facility "alternative" is not described in the Bill. The Minister approves them; the regulations define them. The scope of this new category is entirely regulatory.

⚠️ Parental involvement can be waived by the Minister — licensed preschools operated by corporations or co-operatives must have parent-majority boards or parent advisory committees — but the Minister can exempt any licensee from this requirement if compliance would cause "undue hardship." That term is not defined.

⚠️ Provider's own children count toward the cap — when calculating how many children are being cared for, the provider's own children and the assistant's children are included in the total. A home daycare provider with 3 children of their own can only take in 5 additional children before hitting the 8-child limit.

⚠️ Coming into force by Order in Council — like Bill 6, this Act does not take effect on royal assent. The Lieutenant Governor in Council decides when it comes into force. No timeline is set in the legislation.

[Source: Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly — Bill No. 8, The Child Care (New Facilities) Amendment Act, 2024, 30th Legislature, 1st Session. Introduced by Hon. Everett Hindley.]