The Enhanced Nursery School Operating Grant has been cut by the Province

Hello,

First, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to each person who signed this Petition, and who stood with me by telling the Province that any cuts to early learning and child care are not acceptable. 

It is with a heavy heart that I write this update; this week the Province announced that the new enhanced nursery school operating grant was cut effective July 1st 2021.

They have implemented a new nursery school funding model, and it slashed the funding to Enhanced Nursery Schools to $2,090/space - from the previous $4,180/space. This is a loss of $50,000-$80,000 for centres. 

And they had the audacity to add that if enhanced nursery schools could not function with that much loss of funding, they could “choose” to increase their daily parent fees. Effectively shifting the burden of cost off their plate, and onto families. This would be over 100% increase in the daily parent fee. And many families who attend Enhanced Nursery Schools will no longer be able to attend due to costs; it will be too expensive. And while they make too much money to qualify for the extremely broken Manitoba Subsidy Program, they don’t make enough to afford these higher child care costs. So an entire demographic of Manitoba families will be left without high quality early learning opportunities for their children. And this is unacceptable. 

So I am asking for your help, one more time.

I am asking each person who signed this Petition to write their MLA, the Minister of Families Rochelle Squires, and the Premier. To tell them that ANY cuts to early learning and child care are unacceptable. That placing the burden of funding onto the shoulders of families is unacceptable. That our historically underfunded child care system needs INVESTMENT. And that our Manitoba children, families, ECEs, and Centres deserve better. And that their manipulative disingenuous choice of wording will not be tolerated any longer.

They are trying to say Enhanced Nursery Schools receive TOO MUCH MONEY - which is abhorrent. How can they receive too much money when they still need to fundraise $10,000-$20,000 each year just to PAY THEIR STAFF? The lies need to stop. Manitobans need to hear honest and truthful statements from our elected officials, made in good faith. We will not tolerate more lies and manipulative statements to “trick us” so we don’t see their funding cuts. 

Contact them at:

Minister of Families, Hon. Rochelle Squires,         email: minfs@leg.gov.mb.ca phone: 204-945-4173

Premier of Manitoba, Hon. Brian Pallister,            email: Premier@leg.gov.mb.ca phone: 205-945-3714

Can I count on you? Will you help by adding your voice to the collective, to hold our elected officials accountable for their decision, and let them know cutting funds to non-profit child care is not acceptable?