Parents, caregivers will benefit as new child-care spaces open at hospitals, schools: minister
More than 700 new child-care spaces for children up to age six will soon be available at health-care facilities, schools and post-secondary institutions in Manitoba.
The new openings are meant to make life easier for parents and caregivers in the health-care and education sector, Jenna Sudds, federal families, children and social development minister, said during a news conference at St. Boniface Hospital.
"When nurses and other essential workers can't access reliable child care, it not only affects their ability to stay in the work force, but it also puts a strain on the services that we all rely on," Sudds said on Tuesday.
"Solving child-care challenges doesn't just help families, it helps all of us. It helps keep our hospitals staffed, businesses running and communities thriving."
The provincial and federal governments have partnered to open 324 child-care spaces at the Brandon Regional Health Centre, St. Boniface Hospital and Riverview Health Centre.
These daycare centres will have extended hours to support employees doing shift work, said Tracy Schmidt, Manitoba's education and early childhood learning minister.
The governments committed to creating 256 infant and pre-school spaces within six school divisions, and a combined 128 child-care spaces at the Red River College Polytechnic Notre Dame campus and University College of the North's Thompson campus, Schmidt said.
"We know that access to child care promotes equity by providing opportunities for more parents and caregivers to achieve their education and employment goals while their children are able to reap the benefits of quality early learning environments," she said.
While the St. Boniface Hospital is considered a "home away from home" for upwards of 4,000 staff, having on-site child care will make the facility feel more like home for parents and caregivers employed there, president and CEO Nicole Aminot said.
"Our staff deserve this. They will value it. They will make good use of it and we couldn't be prouder to be able to offer this to the people who work so hard spending their days looking after their fellow citizens in their time of need here in our community," Aminot said.
Accessible and affordable child care is important for families and supports a better work life balance, according to Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara.
Improving access to child care is something the provincial government has heard health-care workers need during its listening tour over the past 16 months, Asagwara said.
The opportunity for children to be around people who work in the health-care profession might also inspire them to join the frontlines, Asagwara said.
The provincial and federal governments will spend $5.8 million for a tuition reimbursement program that provides early childhood education students with up to $5,000. The governments are also funding programming to train 30 Indigenous students to work in child care at the Urban Circle Training Centre in Winnipeg.
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