23-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Big raise for early childhood educators
Early childhood educators are getting raises of up to $5 more per hour.
The Manitoba and Canadian governments announced a new wage grid for the local early learning and child-care sector sector Friday.
The grid sets recommended target wages for various positions, including front-line ECEs. The changes are retroactive to April 1.
'Child-care professionals are at the heart of providing exceptional care to our children and need to be paid accordingly,' Tracy Schmidt, minister of education and early childhood learning, said in a news release.
Schmidt was flanked by Winnipeg West MP Doug Eyolfson to deliver the news to child-care providers firsthand at the Manitoba Child Care Association's annual conference.
The duo was joined by the association's executive director, Jodie Kehl, at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg.
The association's two-day conference — The Brilliance of Play: Adventure Awaits — ends Friday.
The provincial and federal governments are also topping up funding to licensed and funded child-care facilities through its wage grid operating supplement to support the increase.
Ottawa is providing $56.2 million for the initiative, while Manitoba is earmarking $4.2 million.
The province is also increasing base operating grants for a total of $4.6 million for all licensed facilities.
Schmidt said the province is working on a workforce recruitment and retention strategy for the sector. It will be released in 'the coming months,' she said.
Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter
Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie.
Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative.
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