Manitoba government aims high with new child-care spaces plan

The Manitoba government is aiming high with its new child-care spaces plan ahead of the provincial election.

The NDP government plans to improve childhood educationandadd 12,000 child-carespaces across the province as part of its plan to eliminate wait times and offer universal child care for Manitoba parents and caregivers.

"At the same time, we will be supporting good wages and training opportunities for the workforce and an early learning curriculum that enriches children and reaches underserved areas," Premier Greg Selinger said in a statement.

The plan comes on the heels of a report releasedby the Early Learning and Child Care Commission.

• Selinger vows to end wait times for child-care spaces

• Manitoba throne speech promises plan to move railways, end to child-care wait

The reportstates that amore concerted effort is needed towardlowering child-care costs. It suggests implementing a subsidy for child-care fees and eliminating costs altogether for families who are already fully subsidized.

The premier said he would phase out the minimum $2-a-day fee for low-income earners and boost subsidies for other families.

Post-secondary supports

The province said the report also recommends post-secondary schools continue hiring qualified workers by introducing a provincial wage scale as of Sept. 1, 2016. The report adds that the province should work closely with universities and colleges to offer more dual-credit training opportunities for child-care workers, as well as through full-time college coursework.

The province said italso plans to focus on boosting supports forindigenous and newcomer-populations in Manitoba.

Before and after

The report recommended school divisions should be responsible for providing child-care options for parents.Building off that recommendation,Selinger said the province is startinga pilot program in the Seven Oaks and Seine River school divisions that will offer more before- and after-programming in schools.

The plancomes in the midst of a flurry of recent announcementsfrom the province in the lead up to the Apr. 19 election. By provincial law, the government must stop such announcements next Tuesday, although political parties can continue to make promises.