By: Winnipeg Tribune Staff Writer
Winnipeg, May 3, 2024 - In a joint announcement today, federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds and Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare disclosed a significant funding increase for Manitoba’s licensed child-care facilities. This financial boost aims to support enhanced wages for child-care professionals, reinforcing the commitment to building a robust Canada-wide early learning and child-care system.
Minister Sudds emphasized the crucial role of early childhood educators in shaping the future, stating, "We cannot build a Canada-wide early learning and child-care system without our dedicated and hard-working early childhood workforce. The federal government is pleased to support the province's efforts to elevate wage supports, which underscores the value of educators and ensures child care remains a rewarding career."
This year, child-care facilities in Manitoba will benefit from a 2.75% increase in wage funding starting July 1, totaling an additional $10.9 million. This increase is jointly funded, with $10.3 million from the Government of Canada and $600,000 from the Manitoba government.
Minister Altomare highlighted the importance of this initiative: "Investing in child-care professionals is crucial for a system that supports families across Manitoba. This wage increase, along with a significant boost to operating grant funding, enables child-care facilities to offer fair, consistent, and competitive wages."
The wage grid in Manitoba, which sets recommended wage levels for various child-care positions, will be supplemented by this new funding. This aims to aid in recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce, supporting the province’s goal to expand the child-care system by 23,000 spaces by 2026.
Additionally, both governments have increased the base operating grants for all licensed child-care facilities by five percent, effective April 1. This increase, totaling an additional $8.97 million, will support not only wages but also help facilities manage other costs such as rent, programming, and food expenses.
These funding enhancements are part of the broader Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, established in August 2021. The five-year agreement provides $1.2 billion in federal funding to Manitoba to help reduce the average parent fees for licensed child care to $10-a-day and expand access to high-quality, inclusive child-care spaces.
As part of this agreement, the province is also undertaking a comprehensive review of the wage and benefits framework for the child-care workforce, with expectations to complete this review by 2025. This review aims to develop strategies to enhance workforce recruitment and retention, ensuring a sustainable and thriving child-care system in Manitoba. Consultations with the sector are currently ongoing, noted Minister Altomare.