Jun
14

Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework Signed!

Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Ministers have signed an agreement that includes a long term vision, principles, and objectives that will help child care move forward.

Historic Agreement between the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Governments on a Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework.

Read MCCAs  Multilateral Media Release June 12

MCCA has written to Minister of Families, Hon. Scott Fielding recommending Manitoba prioritize:

  1. Access – for example, increase the number of licensed spaces by providing capital grants to support new infrastructure, and also start up and operating grants for currently unfunded and new not for profit child care spaces.  To ensure equitable access for children with varying abilities, a funding increase for the Inclusion Support Program is urgently needed.
  2. Affordability – for example, index subsidy eligibility for low income families.
  3. Funding – provide an annual increase to the operating grant to child care centres and licensed homes that reflects inflationary increases to operations including wages and benefits, children’s program, occupancy, and administration costs.
  4. Quality – make an educated and experienced child care workforce a priority for all licensed facilities, by improving access to affordable ECE diploma and degree training across the province, and providing incentives to Child Care Assistants and Family Child Care Providers to upgrade their qualifications
  5. Strengthen governance & administration: for example, through a cost and time effective method of providing affordable resource, guidance, training, and support to the board of directors of child care centres.

MCCA continues to recommend the need for a Ministers Advisory Committee on Early Learning and Child Care to ensure the development of a collaborative, comprehensive, strategic, affordable, and inclusive early learning and child care system that reflects the priorities and preferences of Manitobans.

Priorities

Manitoba must next sign a bi-lateral agreement with the Government of Manitoba that identifies local priorities for the new federal funds. MCCA has sent a letter to Premier Pallister urging him to ensure Manitoba is among the first of the province’s to submit their action plan to the Government of Canada.

Premier Pallister letter Aug 3, 2017

 

 

 

Categories: News

Posted by Jodie Kehl at 7:55 pm