‘Frustrating for families’: byelection blackout means no answers on expanded child-care program

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This article was published 24/05/2024 (556 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With summer around the corner, parents and child-care providers are anxiously waiting to see if the NDP will make good on its promise to expand $10/day child care.

“We’ve heard nothing,” Jodie Kehl, executive director of the Manitoba Child Care Association, said Friday. “We started a letter campaign this week just saying that families support this and that it would be prudent to make it effective July 1.”

Kehl said parents must know right away so they can make arrangements for this summer. She said she’s been copied on at least 60 letters sent to the provincial government in the last two days.

Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare attended the child care association’s conference Friday morning to bring greetings from the province but had no news to share about the child-care program.

“They’re saying because of the (upcoming Tuxedo) byelection, that they’re in a blackout period and they can’t announce anything,” Kehl said. “I said ‘if you could just communicate something, because it’s the unknown that’s frustrating for families and for facilities right now.’”

The Tuxedo byelection to fill the seat vacated by former Tory premier Heather Stefanson takes place June 18. Parents can’t wait that long to plan their summer, Kehl said.

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The April 2 provincial budget included $2.5 million to extend $10/day child care to non-school days — including in-service days, spring and summer breaks — for school-age children.

Altomare’s press secretary wouldn’t say if it will roll out this summer. She said that would be a violation of the blackout rules.

“We are committed to making life more affordable, and we know that child care can have a financial impact on Manitoba families,” the minister said in a prepared statement. “This is why we will be extending $10/day childcare for school-age children on in-service days, and spring and summer breaks. We look forward to sharing more on this initiative in the coming weeks.”

During the election campaign, the NDP said it recognized that child-care costs for school-age children in summer months, on professional development days and holidays during the school year range from $18 to more than $20 per day.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said in a press release last August that “parents of school age kids are seeing their bills go up in the summer,” and that “a Manitoba NDP government will ensure every family gets $10/child care that works when they work.”

Tyndall Park MLA Cindy Lamoureux said parents have contacted her constituency office asking if the government will roll out the expanded child-care program this summer.

The Liberal leader asked Altomare about it during question period Thursday in the Manitoba Legislature but did not receive clarification.

“Many families were looking forward to paying less for child care this summer as a result of this government’s promise,” Lamoureux said Friday. Summer is often the most expensive time for families when kids are out of school and full-time child-care costs kick in, she said.

“The NDP must be up front (with) Manitobans as to when they will roll out $10/day child care this summer as promised.

“With summer quickly approaching, families should not be forced to give up careers, use sick time or holidays because this government’s mismanagement of their budget commitments.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca