Archived News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

October 9, 2015

Manitoba Government Partners with Rady Jewish Centre, Asper Family to Expand Child-care Options for Families

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Converted Fire Hall to Offer Spaces for up to 48 Children: Minister Irvin-Ross

More families in Winnipeg will have access to high-quality, licensed child-care spaces with the construction of a new facility as part of the Rady Jewish Community Centre of Winnipeg, Family Services Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross announced today.

“We are growing our early learning and child-care system for Manitoba families, adding up to 48 new preschool spaces in partnership with the Rady Jewish Community Centre and the Asper family,” said Minister Irvin-Ross.  “High-quality child care is critically important to young families who want the comfort of knowing their children are being well-cared for while they work or continue their education.”

The facility under construction at 1710 Grosvenor Ave. is the site of a former City of Winnipeg fire hall and is being built with support of up to $325,000 from the Manitoba government.  When completed in 2016, the site will provide up to 48 new preschool spaces, the minister said.

The new centre, to be called the David and Ruth Asper Early Learning Centre, will be in addition to the Rady Centre’s existing site on Doncaster Street, the Kaufman Child Care Centre, which currently offers 113 spaces funded by the Manitoba government.  This location has 12 infant, 56 preschool and 45 school-age spaces.

The province provides operating funding of more than $418,000 for the existing spaces at the current Rady Child Care Centre.

“Families are looking for child care that provides a safe, caring and enriching environment,” said Elliott Garfinkel, president, Rady Jewish Community Centre of Winnipeg.  “We are very grateful the Manitoba government is supporting our initiative to expand our child-care program and that David and Ruth Asper have also put their support behind this project.”

Minister Irvin-Ross noted that in 2015-16, Manitoba will invest more than $162 million in early learning and child care to support year two of Family Choices:  Manitoba’s Plan to Expand Early Learning and Child Care, which includes a commission on early learning and child care to explore system redesign and move forward on the creation of universally accessible services for families who need them.  The commission’s work began in February 2015 and a final report is expected in early 2016, Minister Irvin-Ross said.

Over the course of Family Choices, investments will be made to support 5,000 new and newly funded spaces, the minister said.  In 2015-16, Manitoba committed funding for 900 licensed spaces.

Since 1999, the Manitoba government has:

  • more than tripled annual funding for child care to more than $162 million;
  • established a capital building fund to build new or expand existing licensed centres;
  • funded more than 14,300 child-care spaces;
  • increased wages by more than 60 per cent and introduced a provincewide pension plan for
    child-care workers;
  • introduced age-appropriate curricula and enhanced quality programming; and
  • maintained Manitoba child care the most affordable in Canada outside of Quebec.

For more information about early learning and child care, visit www.gov.mb.ca/childcare.

 

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