July 21, 2023
Governments of Canada, Manitoba Celebrate Opening of the First of Eight New Ready-to-Move Child-Care Centres
– – –Hundreds of New Child-care Spaces Opening in Rural Manitoba, More on the Way: Stefanson
Watch news conference
HEADINGLEY—Families in rural Manitoba will soon have better access to quality, affordable child care, as the first of eight new ready-to-move child-care centres opens in Headingley, Manitoba, Premier Heather Stefanson and Kevin Lamoureux, member of Parliament for Winnipeg North, announced here today.
“Our government is taking concrete action to provide affordable, accessible child care that meets the needs of all Manitobans, regardless of where they live,” said Stefanson. “The ready-to-move child-care project is an innovative and cost-effective approach to create more child-care spaces sooner. This is a game-changer in child-care spaces in rural Manitoba to meet rising needs.”
As previously announced, Canada and Manitoba have provided more than $94 million for two phases of the ready-to-move (RTM) child-care project, which uses a hybrid construction model to quickly develop spaces. The RTM model allows high-quality, new facilities to be built under controlled conditions before they are moved to the final site and placed on a permanent foundation. Construction costs are fully funded under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement in exchange for land, servicing and free rent space for the child-care operator.
“We know that in rural communities, families are struggling to access early learning and child care programming and services,” said Kevin Lamoureux, member of Parliament for Winnipeg North. “That is why Canada is working with our provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners to fund innovative solutions, like Manitoba’s ready-to-move program, that will offer families access to high-quality, culturally appropriate, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care, no matter where they live.”
Bright Beginnings Educare will operate the Headingley facility, with 20 infants and 54 preschool spaces.
“On behalf of Bright Beginnings, our board, staff and myself, I would like to share how grateful and pleased we are to be a part of this exciting opportunity that has been provided to us,” said Lori Renton, director, Bright Beginnings Educare Inc. “We are fortunate that we are able to provide support to more families in the area and welcoming them into our BBE family and circle of care.”
The Headingley facility will open first, followed by Oak Bluff, Whitemouth, Stonewall, East Selkirk, Ile des Chênes, Rosenort and Portage la Prairie by October.
Following a publicly available expression of interest that closed in December 2022, Phase Two will create facilities in the cities of Dauphin and Morden, the towns of Melita and Morris, and the rural municipalities of Hanover, Taché, MacDonald, Rockwood, Sifton, Ritchot, Argyle and Brokenhead, as well as Lake St. Martin First Nation and Norway House Cree Nation.
The premier noted that an additional $26 million is being invested this year to support the project including 300 more spaces, including:
- adding 148 more spaces in two newly approved projects in two more communities, the Town of Ste. Anne and the Rural Municipality of Wallace-Woodworth; and
- adding 152 more spaces across six community projects in phase two.
When complete, both phases of the project are anticipated to create 1,970 new child-care spaces in 25 rural and First Nations communities across the province.
“We have heard loud and clear from parents that we need more child-care spaces – and that’s why we are working to create thousands of new spaces,” said Stefanson. “Affordable, accessible child care helps families make ends meet and makes our communities stronger.”
For more information on child care in Manitoba and to learn more about ready-to-move child-care facilities, visit: www.manitoba.ca/education/childcare/resources/rtm.html.
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