WINNIPEG -- The Manitoba government announced on Tuesday it is proclaiming legislation and making regulatory changes in order to reduce the red tape for childcare providers.
Families Minister Heather Stefanson made the announcement, noting the changes will ease the regulatory burden on childcare centres.
“Our government is committed to protecting Manitobans by ensuring parents have choices in child care, which is why we are developing a more sustainable, flexible and accessible system to meet their needs,” she said in a news release.
According to the province, the new regulations set out under Bill 9, the Community Child Care Standards Amendment Act, will simplify the licensing process for childcare centres, strengthen health and safety provisions, support inclusion and accessibility, and ensure financial accountability for childcare subsidies.
Under the new legislation, the province can licence childcare providers with positive track records for up to three years, as opposed to annually. These changes, which come into effect on Jan. 1, 2021, will reduce administrative burdens on childcare providers who meet expectations, and allow the licensing team to work with providers who need extra help.
The province noted it will also begin to transition to a single funding model for nursery schools in 2021. It added that the current model uses two different operating grant structures for the same level of service, with no income test to make sure the more subsidized facilities are allocated to lower-income families.
“The inequitable approach to nursery schools put in place by the previous government meant some parents were paying more for the same level of service, and there was never a system in place to ensure lower-cost spaces were held for lower-income families that need them,” Stefanson said, noting additional information on this new model will be announced in the next few months.
“Our government will establish a fair and equitable funding model for all nursery school programs, with consistent contributions from the government and from parents.”
In the next few days, the province said it will give additional information about the regulatory changes to childcare providers, as well as inform nursery schools about plans for the funding model.
In a statement Danielle Adams, NDP critic for early learning and child care, said these changes are the result of a review by KPMG, which the Pallister government hasn’t released, and will “mean higher fees for children with exceptional needs.”
“This summer nursery school directors and families made it clear that cutting this grant would make child care less affordable--but the Pallister government chose not to listen,” the statement said.
“This government has caused nothing but chaos and confusion for working families and early childhood educators throughout this pandemic, they've refused to spend a dollar from their special fund and now they want to make even more cuts. It's the last thing families need right now."
