As summer approaches, parents in Manitoba are facing challenges when it comes to finding child-care for their children. Many parents, like Sydney Lussier and Katie Ellis, are struggling to secure spots for their children in daycares due to long waitlists and limited availability. The announcement of $10-a-day programming by the Manitoba government has caused a surge in demand for child-care spaces, causing waitlists to grow to hundreds of names. Parents are feeling frustrated and uncertain about the future, with some considering quitting their jobs to stay home with their children.
Some parents have shared their concerns about the lack of options for child-care, with one parent revealing that her private unlicensed daycare is closing permanently, leaving her scrambling to find care for her youngest child. Waitlists at daycare facilities are long, with some parents being on waitlists for several years before potentially securing a spot. The executive director of Springfield Learning Centres Inc. in Anola, Man., Joanna Novak, stated that there are over 200 children on the waiting list at the pre-school and infant site. This has left many parents in a difficult situation with limited alternatives.
Summer camps are being considered as an alternative for child-care, but even these programs are facing waitlists due to high demand. The YMCA-YWCA in Winnipeg has already filled 2,200 spaces for summer camps, leaving only 500 behind. Registration for these programs opened early to accommodate the increased demand, but spaces are expected to fill up quickly as the end of the school year approaches. Jodie Kehl, executive director of the Manitoba Child Care Association, highlighted the importance of addressing staffing shortages in the child-care sector to improve access to care.
Minister of Advanced Learning and Early Childhood Education, Nello Altomare, expressed empathy for parents facing challenges in finding child care. The government has plans to create 8,000 new preschool-age child-care spaces and 4,000 for school-age kids, as part of a commitment to create a total of 23,000 new spots by 2026. Altomare also mentioned a recent budget increase for child-care worker salaries to attract and retain qualified staff. However, Kehl emphasized the importance of not only increasing remuneration but also improving working conditions and benefits for child-care workers.
Child-care providers like Joanna Novak have highlighted the stress and challenges associated with the job, emphasizing the need for recognition of child-care as a profession. Dealing with children, parents, and staff members can be demanding and stressful, making competitive salaries and supportive working environments essential for retaining qualified staff. While efforts are being made to address the issues in the child-care sector, there is still work to be done to improve access to quality care for families in Manitoba. Parents continue to face uncertainty and difficulties in securing child-care for their children, underscoring the need for comprehensive solutions to the ongoing challenges in the child-care system.
