The Manitoba government has announced amendments to the Child Care Regulation, aimed at increasing the financial support for licensed early learning and child-care facilities.
The changes were revealed by federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds and Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare.
2.75 per cent increase
Effective July 1, the wage grid supplement for child-care facilities will see a 2.75 percent increase. Additionally, there will be a five percent increase in base operating grants, retroactive to April 1. This funding aims to support the wages of early childhood educators and alleviate cost pressures for child-care facilities.
Minister Sudds emphasized the importance of educators in the early learning system.
“Our $10 Canada-wide early learning and child-care system simply would not be possible without the hard-working and dedicated professional educators who care for and teach our children, day in and day out,” she said. “By recognizing and investing in high-quality educators we are ensuring the success of generations to come.”
Minister Altomare echoed this sentiment, highlighting the need for increased wages to make child care a rewarding profession.
“Our government knows we need to increase wages to make a career in child care a valued, rewarding and well-paid profession and we will continue to make strides toward realizing that,” he said. “We know there is more work to be done. Our government will continue to work to improve the system with a particular focus on increasing wages and attracting professionals to the field.”
$10.9 million in new funding
As part of the announcement, the governments of Canada and Manitoba will provide an additional $10.9 million in 2024-25 to supplement early childhood educator wages. The amendment supports increases to Manitoba’s early learning and child-care wage grid, which sets recommended starting points and target wages for various positions within the sector.
The amendments also reflect an $8.97 million increase to base operating grants for all licensed and provincially funded child-care facilities, effective April 1. This funding is intended to support wages and help facilities address other cost pressures, such as rent, programming, and food costs, according to Altomare.
Tuition funding, professional development
Manitoba continues to support workforce development in the child-care sector through tuition funding and professional development opportunities, it said. The province, funded through the Canada-Manitoba Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, offers early childhood educator (ECE) tuition reimbursement of $5,000 per year for programs at recognized post-secondary institutions in Manitoba. An additional professional development day has also been added to the child-care schedule to support current professionals.
The wage grid supplement and operating grants are funded by both federal and provincial governments under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Signed in August 2021, the five-year funding commitment is directed at building a Canada-wide early learning and child-care system.
Manitoba will receive approximately $1.2 billion in federal funding over five years to reduce the average out-of-pocket parent fees for licensed child care to $10-a-day and to expand access to more high-quality, inclusive child-care spaces for children under the age of seven.
As part of the agreement, the province is reviewing the wage and benefits framework for the early learning and child-care workforce. This review, which includes consultations with the sector, aims to develop an approach that enhances recruitment and retention efforts. The review is expected to be completed in 2025, noted Altomare.