Child-care spaces meeting parents and children where they need it. That’s the sticking point in a joint announcement from the provincial and federal governments Tuesday as they announced plans to open 700 new child-care spaces in Manitoba.
The governments are planning to bring 324 spaces to health-care facilities, nearly 300 to schools and school-based facilities, and 128 to Red River College and University of the North’s Thompson campus.
“Solving child care challenges doesn’t just help families. It helps all of us. It helps keep our hospitals staffed, businesses running, and communities thriving,” said Jenna Sudds, the federal minister of Families, Children and Social Development.
This announcement comes after the two governments agreed to the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund earlier this month, which will see $20.9 million earmarked for the spaces.
“Investment in early learning and child care is an investment in our future,” said Tracy Schmidt, Manitoba’s Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister.
“We know that access to child care promotes equity by providing opportunities for more parents and caregivers to achieve their education and employment goals while their children are able to reap the benefits of quality early learning environments.”
The health-care facilities receiving spaces include Brandon Regional Health Centre, St. Boniface Hospital, and Riverview Health Centre.
“Having child care in your place of work, close to your place of work or home, makes life just a little bit easier for parents. Makes life maybe just a little bit less stressful. This work we’re doing reflects the voices and needs of health-care workers,” said Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara.
Sudds noted that while child-care spaces are important, quality early childhood educators are also needed to ensure children get the best learning possible.
That’s why the governments are also investing around $5.8 million to help compensate students who are in early childhood education programs at post-secondary schools in Manitoba.
That money will be used to provide tuition reimbursements of up to $5,000 per year.
