Parents, caregivers will benefit as new child-care spaces open at hospitals, schools: minister
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Observer
a day ago
- National Observer
Paying the price for our toxin addiction
'How badly are we messing up? Badly. Can we stop? It's hard: we're addicted to our own toxins. What are the penalties for not stopping? Severe.' So said Margaret Atwood, reflecting on our toxic chemical habits. By mid-summer, the scent of soil is joined by something far more troubling: chemical traces from weed killers, pesticides and other toxins saturating farms, parks and gardens. This raises urgent questions: why are these substances still so widespread, and who is paying the price? The short answer: private sector interests continue to drive chemical use, often at the cost of human and ecological health. From soil to system The impact of these toxic chemicals is made clear in numerous reports documenting dramatic declines in insect populations, as well as the birds and other animals that feed upon them. A recent study of US imperilled species found that while land and sea use change and climate change were the most prevalent threats, pollution was the fourth-most important factor and most species were threatened by a combination of several factors. The combination of toxic pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss (' triple planetary crisis ') has put human health and well-being in danger. Scientists have documented that the Earth is now beyond the safe operating limit to support humanity with six out of nine planetary boundaries exceeded, one of which is 'novel entities' such as pesticides and other toxic chemicals. The commercial determinants of health Business, market and political practices, favourable policy environments and global drivers such as market-driven economies and globalization have contributed to the ill health and injustices associated with hazardous chemicals. Why are pesticides still so widespread, and who is paying the price? write Jane McArthur, Raquel Feroe and Trevor Hancock A greater understanding of the impact of private sector activity on human health originated in the 2010s with the concept of commercial determinants of health. This field, situated within public health, recognizes that commercial strategies, shaped by both political and economic systems, can significantly influence health outcomes, social inequality, climate change and pollution, positively and negatively. The concept of commercial determinants of health shows how corporate strategies — enabled by political and economic systems — can shape health, inequality, climate change and pollution, both positively and negatively. Indigenous peoples and children are particularly affected Indigenous Peoples are directly impacted by pesticide use. For example, glyphosate and other herbicides are widely used in forestry, which disrupts traditional Indigenous harvesting and violates harvesting rights. As such, Indigenous communities have advocated for action by governments on pesticide spraying, but little action has been taken. The federal government's own survey data reveals that Indigenous Peoples in Canada have less confidence that Health Canada is doing a good job of protecting human health and the environment from pesticides, compared with non-Indigenous people in Canada. Indigenous knowledgekeepers and land stewards have asserted that ' pesticides have no place in Indigenous stewardship.' This begs the question to what extent, if any, is there a place for pesticides given the current triple planetary crisis? Unions, such as the United Food and Commercial Workers, have expressed their concern about pesticide overuse, especially as it impacts workers in the agricultural and food processing sectors, who face health consequences. Overuse of dangerous pesticides is linked to a growing reliance on vulnerable labour such as migrant workers, a move that has been criticized by UN Special Rapporteurs. Pesticide exposure is especially harmful to children due to biological and developmental factors. As well, children may face greater exposure to pesticide residue found indoors due to behavioral factors (crawling, mouthing etc.). Adverse health impacts for children exposed to pesticides include altered behaviour, liver cancer, brain tumours, endocrine system impacts and effects on puberty. In light of those concerns, the widespread use of pesticides in the home and garden to kill dandelions or ants is a frivolous and unnecessary practice. Canada can take concrete steps and reverse the status quo As the host country, Canada played a leadership role in negotiating the Global Biodiversity Framework, aiming to halt and reverse biodiversity loss to sustain life on Earth. Under the Framework, Canada agreed in Target 7 to reduce overall risk from pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals by at least half by 2030. However, Canada currently lacks the infrastructure to systematically manage the growing number of chemical products approved for use. To meet its commitments under the Framework, Canada must move beyond pledges and take concrete regulatory and policy action. Health Canada should invest in data collection, safer alternatives, and incentives for industry innovation, while swiftly removing hazardous products containing PFAS, genotoxins, neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors. The Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) should raise registration fees, and the federal government must enforce the polluter-pay principle so the costs to public health of our chemical addictions can be mitigated. For the children who play in the dirt, the workers who farm the soil, and the Indigenous communities who maintain a life-giving connection with the land — as well as the rest of us — reducing the development, registration, sale and use of pesticides and other toxic chemicals is necessary. World leaders are not ignorant of this fact. Jane McArthur is toxics program director at the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE).
Canada News.Net
a day ago
- Canada News.Net
Low vaccination drives measles surge in North America, says PAHO
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) noted that measles cases are surging across the Americas, with North America seeing the sharpest rise and 18 deaths recorded so far this year in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. As of August 8, PAHO confirmed 10,139 measles cases across 10 countries in the region, a 34-fold increase compared to the same period in 2024. Of the 18 deaths, 14 were in Mexico, three in the United States, and one in Canada. Many of the fatalities in Mexico were among Indigenous people aged 1 to 54. The agency attributed the outbreaks largely to low vaccination coverage, noting that 71 percent of reported cases occurred in unvaccinated people, while another 18 percent involved individuals whose vaccination status was unknown. "Measles is preventable with two doses of a vaccine, which is proven to be very safe and effective," said Daniel Salas, PAHO's immunization lead. "To stop these outbreaks, countries must urgently strengthen routine immunization and conduct targeted vaccination campaigns in high-risk communities." Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world and spreads quickly among unvaccinated populations, especially children. PAHO has urged governments in the region to ramp up immunization efforts to contain the spread. In the United States, vaccination coverage has slipped. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that rates for measles, diphtheria, and polio declined among kindergartners in the 2024–2025 school year compared to the previous year.
Global News
12-08-2025
- Global News
Saskatchewan Health Authority faces criticism for Indigenous hair-cutting policy
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook The First Nations Health Ombudsperson Office is calling for accountability from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) following an Indigenous woman's hair being cut without her consent. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy This comes as SHA implements its Indigenous Hair Cutting Policy this month. As Global's Nicole Healey explains in the video above, the family and community say it's time for true consultation and respect of Indigenous culture.
