Early learning and child care providers in Manitoba will receive $60 million to carry out facility infrastructure improvements, curriculum development, and workforce retention.

As part of the Canada–Manitoba Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, the federal government is investing $45.9 million in grants, part of its $1.2 billion commitment over five years. Manitoba is contributing $14 million, which is part of its $4.8 million goal to equitably support school-age programming for children aged seven to 12.

There are three streams for the grants under the Canada-wide ELCC Agreement:

• The Quality Early Learning and Environments Grant will offer $875 per licensed non-profit child care centre and home-based provider space to help improve aging infrastructure, equipment and materials.
• The Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion Grant will offer $500 per licensed non-profit child care centre and home-based provider space to help ensure children of all backgrounds and abilities feel a sense of belonging and have the ability to participate in the program through enriched curricula, space adaptations, and staff development opportunities.
• The Innovative Recruitment and Retention Grant will offer $200 per licensed non-profit child-care centre to help implement creative and innovative strategies to recruit, retain, and support a high-quality workforce. This includes a Retirement Enhancement and Retention Benefit that will offer a one-time Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) top-up of up to $500 per home-based child care license holder who contributed to an RRSP in 2022 to recognize home-based providers’ dedication to the child care sector.