August 2, 2012
Province Announces Funding for 65 New Child-care Spaces in Whyte Ridge
– – –Manitoba Committed to Improving Services that Matter Most to Families: Howard
Families in the Whyte Ridge area will have increased access to some of the best and most affordable child care in Canada, thanks to the province’s new commitment to fund 20 preschool and 45 school-age child-care spaces at Whyte Ridge Child Care, Family Services and Labour Minister Jennifer Howard announced today.
“I know how important high-quality, reliable child care is,” said Howard. “It means as parents we are able to work and our kids are getting the care they need to get them the best start possible. That’s why we’ve more than doubled the province’s commitment to improving child care over the last decade while keeping daily parent fees the second most affordable in the country.”
The new funding for 65 spaces is in addition to the $9.1 million the province is investing to fund 900 spaces across the province this year; and part of Family Choices, Manitoba’s five-year early learning and child-care initiative, which will see new funding for 6,500 quality child-care spaces by the end of 2013.
“The new funding from the province will help us continue to provide a caring and nurturing environment for our children,” said Whyte Ridge Child Care director Stephania Kositiuk. “And it helps ensure parents can support their families and thrive in our community.”
The minister also noted the provincial government is building on its commitment to increase wages and introduce a provincewide pension plan for child-care workers by beginning consultations on standardized wages. For parents, this means child-care centres can hire and retain the very best early learning and child-care professionals, she said.
Manitoba has more than doubled overall funding for child care to $143 million from $70 million annually over the last 10 years.
More information about Family Choices is available at www.gov.mb.ca/fs/childcare.
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