The Manitoba government has made amendments to the Child Care Regulation to increase the operating grants for all licensed and provincially funded early learning and child-care facilities.
The amendments brought into force a 2.75 per cent increase to the wage grid supplement provided to facilities, effective July 1, and a five percent increase to the base operating grants, retroactively effective April 1.
“Our $10 Canada-wide early learning and child-care system simply would not be possible without the hard-working and dedicated professional educators who care for and teach our children, day in and day out,” said federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds. “By recognizing and investing in high-quality educators we are ensuring the success of generations to come.”
“Our government knows we need to increase wages to make a career in child care a valued, rewarding and well-paid profession and we will continue to make strides toward realizing that,” said Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare. “We know there is more work to be done. Our government will continue to work to improve the system with a particular focus on increasing wages and attracting professionals to the field.”
As announced on May 3, the governments of Canada and Manitoba will provide an additional $10.9 million in 2024-25 to supplement early childhood educator wages. The amendment supports increases to Manitoba’s early learning and child-care wage grid, which sets a recommended starting point and target wages for various positions within the early learning and child-care sector.
The amendments also reflect the increase to base operating grants for all licensed and provincially funded child-care facilities by $8.97 million, retroactive to April 1. This base operating grant funding increase will further support wages and can also help facilities address other cost pressures they have been experiencing including rent, programming and food costs, noted Altomare.
The Manitoba government continues to support workforce development in the child-care sector through tuition funding and professional development. The province, through funding provided via the Canada-Manitoba Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, continues to offer the early childhood educator (ECE) tuition reimbursement of $5,000 in tuition support per year for ECE programs at recognized post-secondary institutions in Manitoba. An additional professional development day has also been added to the child-care schedule to support current professionals in their career and professional development, said Altomare.
Funding increases to the wage grid supplement and operating grants are provided by both the federal and provincial governments through the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Signed in August 2021, the five-year funding commitment is directed at building a Canada-wide early learning and child-care system. Manitoba will receive approximately $1.2 billion in federal funding over five years to reduce the average out-of-pocket parent fees for licensed child care to $10-a-day and to expand access to more high-quality, inclusive child-care spaces for children under the age of seven.
Under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, the province is conducting a comprehensive review of the wage and benefits framework for the early learning and child-care workforce. This review aims to develop an approach that enhances recruitment and retention efforts now and into the future. Consultations with the sector are underway and the review is expected to be completed in 2025, noted Altomare.
