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The Manitoba government is increasing wages for early childhood educators (ECE), with funding from the Canada-Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The increase will be applied to all ECEs and is the biggest increase in Manitoba history, federal Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu and Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt announced today.
“In order to provide families in Canada with high-quality, affordable child care, we need to support the early childhood education workforce with better compensation,” said Hajdu. “Development that happens in early childhood plays a big role in future learning, so it’s important to keep highly trained, qualified people in this field and also attract future educators who want to build safe and inclusive spaces where all children are welcomed, accepted, and nurtured.”
The wage grid sets target wages for various positions within the early learning and child-care sector. This year’s wage grid focuses on frontline early childhood educators wages, for an increase of up to $5 an hour depending on certification level and the size of the child-care centre.
The new wage grid will take effect retroactively to April 1.
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The governments of Canada and Manitoba will also provide an additional $60.4 million ($56.2 million from the federal government, $4.2 million from the provincial government) to licensed and funded child-care facilities through the wage grid operating supplement to support the wage increase for both ECEs and child-care assistants. This funding, along with a two per cent increase to base operating grants for a total of $4.55 million for all licensed and provincially funded early learning and child-care facilities, will be also provided retroactively to April 1.
“This is a both a historic and monumental day for ECEs across the province,” said Jodie Kehl, executive director, Manitoba Child Care Association. “ECEs are the essential foundation on which we will develop a high quality ELCC system for Manitoba children and families. Today’s announcement and funding of the provincial wage grid and benefits addresses a long-advocated-for action and solution. The work and co-operation between the federal government and the province of Manitoba has made this a reality.”
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