'More work to do' one year since historic Canada-Manitoba child care agreement: advocate
While advocates say strides have been made in the year since Manitoba signed on to an agreement with the federal government to increase affordable child care spaces – they also say there is still work to be done.
On Aug. 9, 2021, the province signed onto the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement which would provide more than $1.2 billion from the feds over five years to improve child care in Manitoba.
READ MORE: 'A good news deal for kids': $10 a day childcare coming to Manitoba
Jodie Kehl, executive director of the Manitoba Child Care Association (MCCA), said it is a historic agreement that has potential to transform what early learning and childcare looks like in both Manitoba and in Canada.
"A year later, have we checked all the checkboxes? No, not quite yet," she said. "We've got quite a bit more work to do."
She said one area that needs a lot more work is affordability. The agreement includes a commitment to reduce parent fees by an average of 50 per cent by the end of this year and to an average of $10-a-day by the end of March, 2023.
Kehl said the MCCA would like to see the province move away from the subsidy program to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for families, which she said is not the same as fee reduction.
"Let's actually lower childcare fees," she said. "Let's have a low maximum daily rate, which we do already have in Manitoba, but it needs to be lower, needs to be more affordable for more families," she said.
The agreement also sets a target of creating 23,000 new full-time regulated child care spaces by the end of the 2025/26 fiscal year.
"Twenty-three thousand new spaces is critical and essential, but it's an ambitious target," she said, adding some work has been done in Manitoba, including the creation of 3,100 new expansion spaces. But she said the MCCA wants to make sure there will be staff for all those spaces.
"There needs to be a really collaborative approach between all levels of government," she said. "We need a really multi-level plan to determine how we're going to get 3,000 more educated early childhood educators into the system to work in those spaces."
She said a part of the focus will need to be on increasing quality of the workforce by ensuring far wages and benefits. She said steps have been made towards this such as the introduction of a wage bridge benefit, retirement enhancement plans, and most recently, a wage grid.
"These are good steps. These are foundational steps. They are stepping stones to a broader, more comprehensive workforce strategy, and that's what we're asking for it."
Though there is still much to accomplish, Kehl said she is optimistic the province will meet its targets.
"I think that it's easy to get hung up on the things that aren't perfect," she said. "Let's not let perfect stand in the way of good, and there are a lot of really good things happening in our early learning childcare in our province that we need to be thankful for. This will really help to move the dial."
Kehl said the MCCA will be meeting with the province to discuss 25 recommendations from the MCCA to help accomplish the goals in the agreement.
CTV News reached out for comment Wayne Ewasko, Manitoba's minister of education and early childhood learning, but was told he would not be able to comment before the deadline.
In a news release from the federal government, Ewasko said the province is, "committed to making child care more accessible by creating spaces needed for children in Manitoba and by making them more affordable for parents, particularly low-income and middle-income households."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.