News & Stories: Policy Monitor

Excerpt: "The Government of Manitoba and the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation are working together to establish a million-dollar Early Childhood Development Innovation Fund, the first of its kind in Canada, Premier Greg Selinger announced today. In a partnership with United Way of Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council and the business community, the fund is being seeded by a $500,000 investment from the Montreal-based McConnell Foundation, with matching funds from the Government of Manitoba."

The Manitoba government is investing in the health of mothers and babies through the Healthy Baby Program, Children and Youth Opportunities Minister Kevin Chief announced July 3, 2013. “The Healthy Baby Program supports moms and their families early and gives them financial and community support,” said Chief. “Early childhood development programs, like Healthy Baby Manitoba, have shown they give babies a strong start by increasing moms’ access to prenatal care, increased breastfeeding rates and decreased number of preterm births.”

Family Services and Labour Minister Jennifer Howard announced a new partnership with l’Université de Saint-Boniface and an expanded partnership with Assiniboine Community College that will give 70 more child-care professionals access to the province’s popular workplace-based early childhood education diploma program. The new partnerships mean the program will begin training a total of 135 early childhood educators this year.

Premier Greg Selinger announced Budget 2013 will give families better access to quality child care by opening up to 1,000 new spaces over the next year. "Our government is focused on what matters most to Manitoba families and for growing families that includes better access to good quality child care," said Selinger. "More child care spaces will support parents while they are at work and help prepare young children to succeed at school, while also creating jobs for qualified early childhood educators across the province."

To meet the needs of families in the growing Waverley West neighbourhood, Premier Greg Selinger announced that the province will build an early learning to Grade 8 school in the area that will serve families in this community for years to come.

Excerpt: "The province released its 2013 Budget, and announced in its Budget Address: "We know that high-quality child care is vital to a growing economy and a strong workforce. This year, we will fund new child-care spaces and new child-care centres...which will help parents, especially women, find and keep stable, rewarding jobs. Our government will also partner with parents to support efforts to recruit and retain much-needed child-care workers...The recently announced After School Network brings community-based organizations together to provide more structured after-school activities and programs.""

The province announced funds to relocate and expand a child care centre in Vita. The funding is part of the government's Family Choices, the province’s five-year early learning and child-care initiative.

Excerpt: "The Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Program oversees child care (often called daycare) services provided by licensed child care centres and family home providers. It is administered by the Department of Family Services and Labour. We examined the Department’s management of the Program, including its systems and practices for planning and performance measurement, ensuring compliance with child care standards, and providing financial support to eligible child care facilities and families."

The Winter 2012 edition of the EDI Teacher Newsletter is released.

The province announces an "investment of more than $1 million in the Steinbach and La Broquerie areas’ child-care centres helped create 158 new spaces for local families" in the form of "a new child-care centre and the expansion of two others".

The 2011/12 Annual Report of the Healthy Child Manitoba Office is released.

The Manitoba Centre for Health Policy releases the second edition of How are Manitoba’s Children Doing? which examines how the province's children are doing in four areas: 1) physical health and emotional health; 2) safety and security; 3) successful learning; 4) social engagement.