Lakeside MLA Trevor King is pleased to share that new childcare spaces will be built on the Warren Elementary school property.
“These new spaces are part of the School-Based Childcare Expansion Project, which is itself a part of the Canada-Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Agreement signed in 2023. In March of 2023, school divisions across Manitoba were asked to participate in the program, which entailed taking advantage of unused or underutilized space and land that the school division may have to develop space for infant, preschool and school-age daycare spaces,” he said.
“In July of 2023, 36 projects worth $132 million were announced. The School-Based Childcare Expansion Project is expected to create 2,976 new childcare spaces by 2026. This program is just a small portion of the planned 23,000 new childcare spaces that were announced under the previous government.”
All of these new daycares are going to need to be staffed, which is why the Province of Manitoba committed $151 million in initiatives to train, retain and enhance the working conditions for early childhood educators, he added.
“With the new government cutting many programs that were announced by the previous government with daycare spaces and schools, it has left the Interlake School Division and the Woodlands Childcare, who are in partnership with this project, wondering if it also has been cut or proceeding,” he said.
“With an opportunity in Estimates questioning the new government’s budget, I posed the question of where the project was at and the acting minister, the Honorable Tracy Schmidt, answered that it was approved and will be proceeding. Now that we have those words on record, the Woodlands Childcare, Interlake School Division and myself will continue to advocate for when the start-up date of this project will happen.”
King also outlined the importance of childcare to families and communities.
“This project is very important to our communities as there is a huge need for daycare all across the province with thousands of parents awaiting spaces. Childcare spaces are becoming more important in today’s climate as many families require both parents to be working, along with many single parents that need working income as well due to today’s economy and affordability measures,” he said.
“We will hold the government accountable for its commitments and make sure that Lakeside gets the programming and funding that it needs to support families and grow communities. The NDP cut 10 new schools, which were going to have attached daycares. While none of the schools were in Lakeside, it’s showing a pattern of cuts with wide-ranging impacts for Manitoba families.”
