I thought this was about Universal Childcare? (en francais)

Just how many 'childcare spaces' were going to be created by Saskatchewan's Pre-kindergarten program? From the description below, it was to be two half days for all four year olds. What about the 3 year and unders? What are the parents supposed to do for the other four days of the week?

So just what is the issue here, is it about childcare or education?

Here's an idea. How about using the money for this year to create infrastructure for non-profits to take advantage of the funding offered in the Conservative plan. Think outside the box instead of stomping your feet.

Pre-kindergarten expansion cancelled
Last Updated Feb 23 2006 12:31 PM CST
CBC News
A plan to set up pre-kindergarten programs throughout Saskatchewan will not go ahead this fall after all.

The provincial government announced a pre-kindergarten plan in the Nov. 7, 2005 speech from the Throne that was supposed to allow all four-year-olds in the province to spend two half-days a week in school.

But now the province says a loss of federal money means that will no longer happen.

Saskatchewan and the former Liberal government had a deal for a five-year, $146 million child-care plan last year, but when the deal was scrapped when the Conservatives won last month's federal election.

The Conservatives have their own child-care plan, which involves paying families $1,200 for each child under six years old.

The province estimates there are more than 11,000 four-year-olds in Saskatchewan.

Only about 1,600 of them go to pre-kindergarten.

Learning Minister Deb Higgins has expressed the government's disappointment with the loss of the child-care funding. She said the province-wide expansion of pre-kindergarten can't happen now.

"What we're going to have to do is step back and see what we can afford to do, just with provincial funding," she said.