Thanks to help from the federal government, more than $23 million will be going to early childhood development community programs in Saskatchewan this fiscal year. The announcement of which programs will be receiving assistance was made by the provincial government this past week. 

The $23 million will be going to the Early Childhood Intervention Program, KidsFirst Targeted and Regional Programs and Early Years Family Resource Centres.  

"Our government recognizes the impact these programs have as they continue to nurture the early development needs of children and their families," Education Minister Dustin Duncan said.  "We are pleased to make this investment to give more support options to growing families across Saskatchewan." 

The KidsFirst Targets Programs will receive more than $16 million this year. The program serves roughly 1,700 vulnerable families, while the KidsFirst Regional Programs worked with families in more than 320 communities.  

There will be 10 Early Years Family Resource Centres receiving over $3 million. The centres support families with parent education, wellness initiatives and referrals to other services. There will also be more than $4.4 million for Early Childhood Intervention Programs. They aim to help support families with children experiencing developmental delays or disabilities.  

Funding for the programs was made available through the Canada-Saskatchewan Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.