The province has committed $11.4 million in new funding to support new child-care sites, revitalize centres, create more spaces, hire more workers, enhance child safety and develop a curriculum framework, Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh announced.
“Child care is a critical piece of the puzzle for many Manitobans these days,” Mackintosh said. “More and more families are trying to make ends meet in a difficult economic environment. We want to help ensure that safe, enriching child care is available so parents have the choice to work or pursue training that will help them meet the challenges they face.”
Child care is being enhanced with six initiatives:
• 19 new child-care sites: The province is building toward 35 new sites by 2013. Nineteen sites are in various stages of development. Under the Family Choices Building Fund, $7.9 million will be available this year to build new centres and renovate or expand existing ones.
• 2,850 more funded child-care spaces: A total of 2,350 spaces were funded last year and a further 500 spaces will be funded this year. The province is on the way to creating 6,500 more funded spaces by 2013.
• Age-appropriate curriculum framework: 70 child-care centres will launch enhanced play based practices for higher-quality early learning.
• New safety measures: A protocol and computer enhancements with the Winnipeg Police Service have been concluded so facilities can be alerted to dangerous situations within the vicinity. Rural protocols will be developed this year. As well, more than 1,021 weather radios have now been provided to facilities within broadcast range.
A stronger work force:
• Recruitment: “It’s the small wonders that make this career great” worker recruitment campaign launched.
• Scholarships: Family Choices scholarships created for 20 Grade 12 students entering an early childhood educator program (ECE) at Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface and University College of the North.
• Wage increase: Funding provided for a three per cent wage increase July 1. This builds on the low-wage adjustment fund launched earlier this year to increase salaries to at least $15.50 an hour for early childhood educators and $12.25 an hour for child-care assistants training to become ECEs, helping raise the wages of more than 800 child-care workers by an average of 10 per cent. Graduates of college-level diploma programs can now expect to earn $32,000 per year on graduation.
• Training: Training grants increased 40 per cent to $350 from $250. These grants being made available to ECE IIs who wish to upgrade.
• Child-care facility grants increased: Operating funding for child-care centres increased between five and 12 per cent this year while inflation is at 0.9 per cent, ensuring continued low parent fees and the three per cent wage increase.
“Although there are now 1,500 more child-care workers than in 2004, we must continue to invest in workforce stability by strengthening efforts to both recruit and retain workers. Wage increases of over 40 per cent since 1999 and the ongoing development of a new pension plan are part of our efforts,” said Mackintosh.
The announcement was made at the construction site of a new additional facility for Rainbow Day Nursery in the Southdale neighbourhood of Winnipeg.
“It’s tremendous for parents like me who rely on child care to witness this new investment,” said Karen McDonald, president of Rainbow Day Nursery. “We at Rainbow also see the impact of a team approach to expanding the number of child-care sites. In our case, Ladco, the province and the community have come together for the good of us all.”
For a full progress report on achievements in year one of Family Choices, a copy of the Eye on Early Learning in Child Care newsletter is available in the publication section at www.gov.mb.ca/childcare.
This announcement is part of the province’s All Aboard poverty-reduction strategy.
