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A thread: Manitoba is currently undertaking a public consultation on changes to its childcare regulations. The proposed changes can be found on-line at https://reg.gov.mb.ca/detail/2937833 . Deadline for comments is August 12. 1/9
Among many changes, Manitoba has slipped in a doozy: eliminating the daily maximum parent fee in ‘unapproved’ spaces. Instead of having a flat provincial set fee for all facilities, some programs will be allowed to charge parents much more if they do not receive funding. 2/9
This is a complete break from 46 years of provincial fee history: Manitoba was the province that innovated set fees for parents. This has been a proud centrepiece of our provincial policy. 3/9
Set fees do a lot of good, as economists have shown. While they don’t necessarily make fees affordable, they do make them predictable. See https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/developmental-milestones 4/9
Among other benefits, set fees mean that parent-run boards of directors (the not-for-profits that own and operate 95% of Manitoba’s childcare centres) don’t have to deliberate over how much to charge themselves. This eliminates a major burden on parent volunteers. 5/9
But a bigger problem: Why would a facility accept inadequate operating funds – frozen since 2016 – which would restrict their ability to charge higher fees to parents? Many programs might gamble on higher parent fees bringing in more revenue than low government funding does. 6/9
An even bigger problem: parents who need & qualify for a fee subsidy would not be likely to be enrolled in a facility charging higher fees: after all, they bring in less ‘revenue’ than a parent paying a privately-set fee. This further reduces access for low-income parents. 7/9
Perhaps the biggest problem? This paves the way for a new funding architecture that slashes the major tool of parent affordability. At a time when parents need childcare more than ever, and when many families have lost income! 8/9
If you have concerns, please register at https://reg.gov.mb.ca/detail/2937833 . You’ll need to make an account to leave a comment – deadline is August 12. 9/9
