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October 30, 2009 PROVINCE ENHANCES HIGH-QUALITY CHILD CARE IN BRANDON: MACKINTOSH– – –$1 Million in Funding Will Create Nearly 200 New Spaces in Five Projects Manitoba continues its aggressive pace in expanding, renovating and creating new child-care spaces by providing five projects at child-care centres in Brandon with almost $1 million in funding, Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh announced today.
“There is a need for high-quality, affordable child care right across the province and that’s what we’re delivering,” said Mackintosh.
Funding of nearly $1 million will support the construction or renovation of five centres in Brandon and help create 197 child-care spaces under the Family Choices initiative:
· Assiniboine Early Learning Centre will expand its infant and preschool services on the Victoria Street Campus of Assiniboine Community College.
· Brandon YMCA South will establish a fourth child-care program offering infant and preschool services in south Brandon.
· The Brandon University Early Learning Centre will build an addition to its existing facility and expand infant and preschool services.
· Kokum’s Little Friends will renovate existing space adjacent to its current facility and expand its infant and preschool programming.
· Victoria Day Care Centre will complete a major renovation to expand services and improve its preschool program.
The province is also investing $86,000 in new equipment, accessibility and enhanced green space for 19 centres in Brandon, Mackintosh said.
“Manitoba has committed to making additional spaces available and continues to work aggressively to recruit and retain more child-care workers to staff these new and expanded centres,” said Brandon East MLA Drew Caldwell, speaking in Brandon today on behalf of Mackintosh.
Since Family Choices, Manitoba’s five-year initiative for early learning and child care was launched in April 2008, funding for 2,850 child-care spaces has been announced. The province is well on its way to meeting its commitment of funding 6,500 spaces and 35 new child-care sites by 2013, said Mackintosh.
A key part of Family Choices is the Workforce Stability Strategy, which has increased the number of child-care workers by 1,900 compared with five years ago. The strategy includes:
· Wage increases: Front-line early childhood educators have had a wage increase of 42 per cent since 1999. Graduates of college-level diploma programs can now expect to earn $32,000 per year on graduation.
· Recruitment: “It’s the small wonders that make this career great” worker recruitment campaign was launched this spring.
· Scholarships: Family Choices scholarships were created for 20 Grade 12 students entering an early childhood educator (ECE) program at Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface and the University College of the North.
· Training: Training grants were increased 40 per cent to $350 from $250. These grants are also being made available to ECE IIs who wish to upgrade.
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