May 17, 2022

Winnipeg
10° C, Overcast

Full Forecast

Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription Chat with us
Log in Create Free Account Help Chat with us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • My Account
    • Manage my Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
    • Log in
    • Create Free Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
  • Coronavirus Coverage
  • Replica E-Edition
    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West
  • Above the Fold
  • Front page
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Book Club
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Canada
  • Local
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • World
  • The Star
  • Reader BridgeNEW
  • WFP EventsNEW
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Archives
  • Free Press Community Review
    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Classifieds
  • Contests
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • LifestylesNEW
    • All Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Homes
    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Newsletters
  • Obituaries
  • Puzzles
  • Photo and Book store
  • More

©2022 FP Newspaper Inc.

Close
  • Quick Links

    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • Federal Election
    • Above the Fold
    • Home
    • Local
    • Canada
    • World
    • Classifieds
    • Special Coverage
    • Newsletters
    • Obituaries
    • Photo and Book store
    • Archives
    • Contests
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Content
    • Privacy Policy

    Ways to support us

    • Pay it Forward program
    • Subscribe
    • Day Pass
    • Support Faith coverage
    • Support Arts coverage
  • Replica E-Edition

    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West

    Business

    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Arts & Life

    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Sports

    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • Opinion

    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor

    Media

    • All Media
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos

    Homes

    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Canstar Community News

    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Coupons

    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
The Free Press

ABOVE THE FOLD

Subscribe
Articles Read Your Balance +tax

Manitoba should move on child-care opportunity

By: Editorial | Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 14, 2021

Scroll
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Save to Read Later

Editorial

A critical aspect of Manitoba’s economic recovery from the pandemic will be robust participation by the workforce. Child-care fees as low as $10 a day would help more Manitobans get back to work.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/7/2021 (307 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A critical aspect of Manitoba’s economic recovery from the pandemic will be robust participation by the workforce. Child-care fees as low as $10 a day would help more Manitobans get back to work.

Historic funding deals with the federal government were signed by two provinces, Nova Scotia on Tuesday and British Columbia last Thursday, that will eventually reduce child-care costs to an average of $10 per day for children under six years old in those provinces.

Manitoba parents of young children can only wish child care was so affordable. In Winnipeg, fees in for-profit pre-school centres are $933 per month, non-profit infant fees are $651, and non-profit pre-school fees are $451.

The Trudeau Liberals’ deals with B.C. and Nova Scotia are the initial forays of a bid to build a national daycare system, which Ottawa is funding with a federal pool of $27.2 billion in new funding announced in April’s federal budget. Ottawa’s offer is open to all provinces, an opportunity Manitoba would be wise to investigate.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES</p><p>Minister of Families Rochelle Squires </p>

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES

Minister of Families Rochelle Squires

The timing of the Liberals’ eagerness to partner with provinces is strategic, coming at a time of abundant speculation that a federal vote will soon be called. The child-care deals can reasonably be seen as pre-election campaigning.

Boosting the re-election bid of the Liberals would be a tough pill to swallow for the Progressive Conservative government of Manitoba, as well as for Conservative provincial governments in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

In fact, before the pandemic hit, the provincial Conservative leaders, united in a stand against the Liberals’ carbon-tax plan, were touted as "Justin Trudeau’s worst nightmare" and the "new opposition" to the federal Liberals. Some even saw Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister emerging as a possible leader of the new alliance of Conservative premiers.

That was then. This is now, when Manitobans would benefit considerably if the Pallister government can overcome its allergy to partnering with the federal Liberals and get in line for the child-care deal.

Winnipeg Gardener

What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. A monthly email with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing.

Sign up for Winnipeg Gardener
Sign Up

An example of how the deal would work was outlined in B.C.: the agreement requires that province to have created at least 12,500 $10-a-day spaces by the end of next year and create 30,000 new spaces in the next five years; the deal holds B.C. to levels of affordability, quality of care and training of early-childhood educators.

Manitoba should overlook past friction in its relationship with Ottawa and, putting a priority on what’s best for Manitoba families, try to negotiate a better deal with federal child–care funding, as B.C. and Nova Scotia have done.

The federal availability of new child-care funding comes as Manitoba is already in the process of restructuring its child-care system. A report by KPMG, commissioned by Manitoba and released in April, recommended an extensive overhaul of the funding system, cutting the operating grants for licensed child-care centres and moving toward a parent-based funding model involving grants and incentives paid directly to families. More provincial funding would reduce the fees of lower-income families, while higher-income families would pay more.

Manitoba Families Minister Rochelle Squires said she will consider the KPMG report’s transformative recommendations, but said she will also talk to parents and consult with child-care providers. She hasn’t yet said she will also talk to Ottawa, but she should.

Manitoba should overlook past friction in its relationship with Ottawa and, putting a priority on what’s best for Manitoba families, try to negotiate a better deal with federal child-care funding, as B.C. and Nova Scotia have done.

With the economy on the verge of opening up, Manitoba’s recovery will depend on vigorous participation in the workforce by all family members who want to work outside the home. Affordable child care can help it happen.

Editorials are the consensus view of the Winnipeg Free Press’ editorial board.

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Save to Read Later
  • Report Error
  • Submit a Tip
  • Refund
  • The Free Press is certified by

The Winnipeg Free Press invites you to share your opinion on this story in a letter to the editor. A selection of letters to the editor are published daily.

To submit a letter:
• fill out the form on this page, or
• email letters@freepress.mb.ca, or
• mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6.

Letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and a daytime phone number. Letters are edited for length and clarity.

Top