A new poll by Probe Research done in conjunction with the Manitoba Child Care Association shines a spotlight on how long Manitoba parents are waiting to get their kids into childcare.
In a media release, the MCCA said their survey, which had nearly 1900 respondents, showed that childcare was getting more affordable but no more available in Manitoba. Among the highlights of the survey, 76 percent of Manitoba parents said they felt the province was “nowhere close” to every child who needs space getting one.
According to the survey, parents are also spending an average of 17 months on waitlists for childcare. While many parents found they were getting spots when they needed them, this was, according to the MCCA, because they were placing their children on waitlists very early.
Affordability was one area where the province is showing improvement. The survey showed 70 percent of parents believe $10-per-day childcare is working, and they are more than twice as likely to find childcare affordable as they were in 2016, when the MCCA also circulated a Probe Research poll among their members.
There are approximately 41,870 licensed child care spaces in Manitoba, of which 93% are located in child care centres and 7% in licensed home child care.
