Child Care Subsidy for Kinship Caregivers in Saskatchewan

Childcare is one of the biggest practical challenges when you unexpectedly take in a grandchild or a relative's child. You may need to keep working to maintain your household income, or you may need regular respite from full-time caregiving. Saskatchewan has two main childcare affordability programs, and how they apply to you depends on the child's age and the type of care you choose.

$10-a-Day Child Care (Under Six)

Saskatchewan participates in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) agreement. Under this program, fees for children under six enrolled in a licensed, regulated child care centre or licensed home-based care are capped at $10 per day.

This applies to kinship caregivers the same way it applies to anyone else — you do not need a court order, a PSI designation, or any special paperwork beyond the child care centre's standard enrollment. If you have a three-year-old grandchild living with you and you enroll them in a participating licensed centre, you pay the $10-per-day rate.

The catch is availability. The $10-per-day cap applies only to spaces in licensed, regulated facilities that have opted into the CWELCC agreement. In many Saskatchewan communities — especially rural and northern areas — waitlists for licensed child care can stretch for months. A subsidy approval guarantees financial assistance but does not reserve or guarantee a physical space.

Provincial Child Care Subsidy (Ages Six to Twelve)

For school-age children between six and twelve, or for any child under six enrolled in a non-participating facility, the traditional provincial Child Care Subsidy remains active. This program provides income-tested fee relief paid directly to the licensed childcare provider.

Eligibility is based on your net family income. You apply through the Ministry of Social Services, and if approved, the subsidy covers a portion of the care fees while you pay the remaining balance. The higher your income, the smaller the subsidy.

One important detail: the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is not counted as income for Child Care Subsidy eligibility. If you qualify for CCB under an informal or private care arrangement, it does not inflate your income on the subsidy application.

PSI Caregivers and Childcare

If the child is with you under a Person of Sufficient Interest (PSI) order, the Ministry of Social Services provides a separate babysitting support benefit. This covers approved employment-related childcare or emergency coverage, but it requires a separate application to your MSS caseworker. PSI babysitting support is distinct from the provincial Child Care Subsidy — it is administered directly through the PSI program rather than the standard subsidy system.

PSI caregivers can also access the $10-per-day CWELCC spaces for children under six, just like any other family. The two programs are not mutually exclusive.

The SEI Connection to Child Care

The Saskatchewan Employment Incentive (SEI) is a monthly benefit for eligible low-income working families. Eligible children must be ages 0–12, or ages 13–17 and need child care because of special circumstances; the family must receive CCB for the child or be a PSI caregiver. You cannot receive SEI while receiving SIS or SAID. When eligible family earned income is between $500 and $2,200 per month, SEI can pay up to $400 for one child, $500 for two, or $600 for three or more children.

What makes SEI especially relevant for childcare is its health benefit connection. Eligible SEI families are automatically reviewed for Supplementary Health Benefits eligibility. While this is not childcare funding per se, it can help with other costs that compete with childcare in your budget.

SEI recipients who need childcare for work can apply separately for the provincial Child Care Subsidy. CCB and SEI can be received together when eligibility requirements are met. Ask the Ministry of Social Services how it calculates the Child Care Subsidy alongside SEI.

Practical Steps for Getting Child Care Help

1. Find a licensed space first. Contact your local child care centres or search the Saskatchewan child care directory. Ask whether the centre participates in the CWELCC $10-per-day program.
2. Apply for the Child Care Subsidy if the child is six or older, or if the only available space is in a non-participating facility. Applications go through the Ministry of Social Services.
3. If you have a PSI order, contact your MSS caseworker about the babysitting support benefit before paying out of pocket. The approval process is separate and requires documentation of why you need care (employment, medical appointments, respite).
4. Apply for SEI if you meet its eligibility rules and are working. The eligible earned income threshold starts at $500 per month; CCB and SEI can be received together when you qualify for both.

Pulling It Together

Childcare costs can feel like the barrier that makes everything else impossible — you cannot work without childcare, and you cannot afford childcare without working. Saskatchewan's layered system of the $10-per-day program, the provincial subsidy, PSI babysitting support, and SEI is designed to fill different gaps, but nobody at any single office will walk you through all of them.

Our Saskatchewan kinship financial help guide maps each childcare option to your specific care arrangement and includes a step-by-step checklist for applying to the right programs in the right order.

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