Families Minister Heather Stefanson announced on Friday, March 20, 2020, that the province will be investing $27.6 million to provide child care to essential front-line workers who need it during the COVID-19 response.
“This pandemic requires all Manitobans to change how they live their daily lives, but it is clear that we are all willing to work together to find solutions,” said Stefanson. “In this time of uncertainty and challenge, we are working in partnership with child-care providers to find creative solutions in the community.”
$18 million of that investment will go to early childhood educators who have been affected by the closures of licensed child care centres to help they to begin offering child care services in their homes or community.
Licensed child-care centres will continue to receive their full operating grants and subsidies (about $7.6 million provincewide) so they can provide care for up to 16 children with first priority given to children of essential front-line workers.
The other $2 million will go into a trust that will provide capital grants to child-care providers to ensure safe, quality care.
All child-care centres are encouraged to reimburse fees that were prepaid by parents for child care they can no longer access at this time. The minister says that unless care is being provided parent fees should no longer be charged as of April 1, 2020.
© News4.ca 2020
