Advocates have criticized Manitoba for its slow progress in meeting the growing demand for child-care spaces, as recent figures reveal that the province is far from achieving its 2026 target. Speaking at a news conference in Winnipeg, Molly McCracken, Chair of the Child Care Coalition of Manitoba, expressed concerns over the insufficient pace of expansion, stating that parents are facing extensive waitlists, including her own children who have been waiting for child care at their school for two years.
Since the election of the current NDP government in October 2023, Manitoba, in collaboration with the federal government, has either opened or initiated the construction of 5,350 new child-care spaces, representing only 23% of the promised 23,000 $10-per-day spaces by 2026. The province has committed to an additional 6,041 spaces to reach its goal for the following year, falling short of the halfway mark.
To address the shortage of child-care workers, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt announced a new recruitment and retention strategy, offering a $5,000 incentive to entice former early childhood educators back into the field. The expansion of affordable child care has been welcomed by families, making it financially advantageous, but it has also led to a surge in demand, as highlighted by past president of the Manitoba Child Care Association, Lynda Raible.
Melanie Power, a child-care provider in Winnipeg, emphasized the pressing need for child-care spaces, particularly for parents of infants and kindergarten-age children. The current half-day kindergarten system poses challenges for parents seeking adequate care coverage, with Power advocating for the adoption of full-time kindergarten to better support working families.
Despite the progress made, advocates stress the urgency for Manitoba to accelerate its efforts in creating more child-care spaces. McCracken called for a comprehensive funding plan to staff the additional spaces required to meet the 2026 target and urged the government to allocate sufficient budget resources in the upcoming year. Additionally, advocates are pushing for increased involvement of school divisions in expanding child-care facilities to alleviate the strain on parents awaiting placements. Without improved access to child care, families like McCracken’s will continue to endure the exhaustion of prolonged wait times.