EXCERPTS
On Monday, August 9, 2021, Manitoba became the 7th province to sign an early learning and child care agreement with the Government of Canada.
Highlights of the Canada-Manitoba agreement:
will support an average of $10 a day for regulated child care spaces in the province in 2023, significantly reducing the price of child care for families.; by the end of 2022, Manitoba families will see a 50 per cent reduction in average parent fees for children up to six years old in regulated child care
will also lead to the creation of 23,000 new full-time regulated child care spaces by the end of the fiscal year 2025-2026 to ensure all families of children up to six years old can access child care; the province will create these new child care spaces in not-for-profit, public child care providers/operations, as well as in family-based child care
the federal funding of more than $1.2 billion over the next five years will also fund critical services for Manitoba families and children
will grow a strong and skilled workforce of early childhood educators, including the creation of a wage grid to support the attraction and retention of early childhood educators
will also lead to the creation of 1,700 extended hour child care spaces for families requiring child care in the evening and on weekends as well as guaranteed child care spaces for children whose parents are transitioning into regular employment
will support an early learning and child care system that is fully inclusive of children with disabilities and children needing enhanced or individual supports and ensure that all families have equitable access to high-quality, affordable programming
Manitoba will prioritize inclusivity, ensuring that families have access to integrated and culturally responsive services; funding through the agreement will also support the strengthening of the early learning and child care workforce by modernizing certification requirements and implementing a wage floor for different positions and classifications