Thompson MLA Danielle Adams is calling on the provincial government to invest in non-profit childcare spaces, which she says will assist with economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Adams criticized the PCs for freezing funding to Children’s Disability Services and childcare centres in her latest report, saying  “the budget does nothing to remedy this situation”.

 

Her report states the number of children on waitlists for childcare spaces increase between 2016 and 2020, going from nearly 15, 000 to almost 19, 000.

 

The MLA blasted the PCs for spending $600, 000 on KPMG report, which she states put forward "worrisome" recommendations. One recommendation highlighted by the KPMG report was that the government move towards a business model for childcare and increasing parent fees, which would move away from the operating grant funding model.

 

Adams wrote about Bill 47, also known as the The Early Learning and Child Care Act, which would allow private centres to receive public funding and may also allow for childcare workers to do one year of training as opposed to two years of training.

 

She goes on to claim these changes may lead to a decline in quality care, and the Pallister government should withdraw the bill.