Province to pay parents’ daycare fees

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This article was published 12/05/2021 (1849 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Pallister government will spend $1.9 million to cover fees charged by in-school daycares so parents in Winnipeg and Brandon, who are keeping their children at home, won’t be on the hook.

“This new support will help ensure parents do not pay for child-care spaces that they cannot use, and will protect facilities from financial hardships,” Families Minister Rochelle Squires said Wednesday.

Manitoba moved to remote learning on Wednesday due to high daily COVID-19 cases and test positivity rates; only children of essential-service workers can attend in-person classes.

There are 10,194 daycare spaces in Winnipeg, and 193 in Brandon, attached to schools, in which children are supervised before or after kindergarten, or on days they don’t have school. The vast majority of them will no longer be going to daycare at 520 facilities, including home-based daycares.

Squires said the Families Department will give those providers grants, which are equal to parent fees, for children who aren’t allowed to attend, and that families will retain their spaces.

“Our message has always been to not charge parent fees for a space that they’re not able to (use) because of a COVID-related shutdown or circumstance,” said Squires.

“We know that having a strong, robust child-care sector is essential to the post-pandemic recovery.”

The NDP praised the move, but said it should be extended to all daycares, instead of ones for school-aged children.

“It’s a step in the right direction, but unfortunately, this announcement also leaves younger children out of the equation,” said MLA Adrien Sala.

Squires had advised parents to touch base with their daycares about the waiving of fees; Sala argued COVID-19 restrictions could be better organized with schools and daycare providers.

“Everything’s been rushed through with this government and it hasn’t been well thought-out.”

Squires also announced Manitoba would boost monthly spending on personal protective gear in the child-care sector by $415,000, to upgrade masks provided to Level 3, which is the level of protection just below that of N-95 respirators, which are reserved for medical staff. This is to account for the rise of more infectious COVID-19 variants.

— With files from Carol Sanders

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca