Manitoba fails to create 23,000 spaces under child-care deal: auditor

The Manitoba government was ill-prepared to meet its commitment to create 23,000 non-profit child-care spaces when it signed a $1.2-billion, five-year agreement with the federal government in 2021.

Provincial auditor general Tyson Shtykalo came to that conclusion after he examined the plans and processes used by the province to meet the accessibility and inclusivity objectives set out in the agreement.

The deal aims to increase the quality, accessibility, affordability, and inclusivity of early learning while providing $10-a-day child care for those under age seven by March 31 of this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VInQeKzZoaw

Shtykalo’s report, presented to the legislature Thursday, said the province has taken steps to create new spaces, but won’t meet the 23,000‑space target.

Manitoba is more than halfway there, said Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt, who couldn’t provide the exact number of spaces that have been created.

She said the NDP government more than doubled the number of early childhood education seats to 1,200 from 600 after taking office in 2023.

“We’re grateful for these dollars, but it takes a lot of work to stand up new child-care spaces here in Manitoba,” she said about the $1.2 billion agreement signed by the Tory government in 2021.

“When we inherited it, things were in a bit of a mess, there was not a lot of progress,” Schmidt told reporters Thursday. “Something that the report shows is that we are making progress and that after we were elected, construction and development of child care here in Manitoba has really spiked.”

Tory education critic Wayne Ewasko argued that if the NDP had continued following the Tory plan, more than 14,500 child care spaces would have been created by now.

“All she had to do is continuing following that plan,” he said.

The auditor’s report said the government lacked sufficient data on demand, wait lists, and space closures. It didn’t assess how child-care demand in the province would evolve over time. It said inclusion supports are provided, but barriers could delay timely access for children who have additional needs.

“The inclusion support program has always had its challenges,” said Jodie Kehl, executive director of the Manitoba Child Care Association. “It saddens me greatly that these barriers are making it really difficult for facilities to accept all children and that’s an injustice of human rights,” she said.

“All children in all parts of Manitoba need access to high-quality programs. There’s more work that needs to be done to make that happen,” said Kehl who welcomed the auditor general’s “very specific, very accurate” report.

It includes seven recommendations to strengthen planning, data, and oversight so that child-care funding translates into meaningful and equitable access.

The government is advised to obtain improved data such as wait-list numbers to identify areas with high demand and to strengthen its data collection to improve modelling for new and long-term demand.

The report calls for a comprehensive action plan that addresses barriers and improves equity of access across the province.

The auditor said the province should establish clear actions and timelines to verify that expenses are eligible for the enhancing diversity and inclusion grant, and address ineligible expenses once they have been identified.

Schmidt said the province welcomes the report and accepts its recommendations.

“I will not rest until every single family in Manitoba that wants access to child care has access to child care,” the minister said.

— with files from Gabrielle Piche

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

Child care report