Child care gap: 77K spaces needed to reach national benchmark
The province needs at least 77,000 more child care spaces to meet the national access benchmark — and a plan for getting there, the Child Care Coalition of Manitoba said […]
Manitoba requires an additional 77,000 child care spaces to reach a national access benchmark, according to the Child Care Coalition of Manitoba. Currently, licensed spaces cater to just 22 percent of the province's 207,336 children under 12 years of age. To achieve the national benchmark of 59 percent licensed spaces, Manitoba needs 23,000 more infant and preschool spaces and 54,000 additional school-age spaces.
While recent efforts like the introduction of $10-a-day child care, new spaces, higher wages for staff, and increased operating funds have made progress, families still encounter long waiting lists and limited options, especially for parents working non-traditional hours. The coalition urges the provincial government to lead the planning and expansion of a net 77,000 new child care spaces in the public and non-profit sector.
The coalition, led by Susan Prentice, argues that a comprehensive, universally accessible child care system would benefit families, support women's workforce participation, create jobs, and boost Manitoba's economy. The organization specifically calls for the removal of the parent volunteer fundraising requirement for new and renovated child care facilities, expanded extended-hour care to assist families with irregular schedules, and commitment to providing well-paying, benefits-rich jobs for child care workers to ensure adequate staffing of new spaces.
Written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
