Manitoba is still looking for child-care spaces for those that work on the front line during the current Coronavirus pandemic.
“The early childhood educators and child-care centres that have stepped up to provide child care to health-care and other emergency services workers are truly heroes helping heroes, and I want to thank them for stepping up during this difficult time,” said Families Minister Heather Stefanson. “There are still health-care and other emergency services workers who need child care, and today I want to call on child-care providers throughout our province to help those workers as they provide needed services during this pandemic.”
The minister said that to support centres so that they can reopen the first quarter of the provincial operating grant has begun to flow to all licensed child-care centres.
Stefanson asked that all licensed child care facilities that want to help by reopening or continue to have spaces available to contact the province by emailing cdcinfo@gov.mb.ca.
“It is not too late to step up and help out, whether you are operating in a child-care centre or in your own home,” said Stefanson.
Licensed child-care centres will continue to be limited to 16 spaces to support social distancing and infection prevention measures. Some larger centres with segregated rooms and separate external entrances are able to offer care for up to 16 children per room.
Beginning April 14, 2020 all parents who work in critical services as defined by public health will be able to access child-care spaces in licensed facilities.
Parents who work as support staff in hospitals and clinics, grocery store staff, farmers and farm workers, construction workers, banks or credit union employees are included on the list. A complete list of critical services under the Public Health Act can be accessed at https://news.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/newslinks/2020/03/BG-PHA_-_COVID-19-PR.pdf.
Parents in these sectors who have yet to find child-care will be able to see which facilities have openings at www.manitoba.ca/covid19 and contact the facility directly to find a spot.
© News4.ca 2020
