The Manitoba government and Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine have announced a funding increase for Child and Family Services (CFS) for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
According to a provincial release, the new funding will total $29.2 million. This will include $18.9 million toward the rising cost of providing care and services, as well as the number of children, youth and families supported, $3.1 million to support agency worker wages, and $7.2 million to continue enhanced supports for caregivers through increased basic maintenance rates.
“Keeping children safe and helping them thrive is a sacred responsibility,” said Fontaine. “This increase will help ensure children, youth and families get the supports they need, while strengthening the work of keeping more children connected to their families, kin and communities. We know the child and family services system needs more support than the previous government was willing to provide, and our team is taking action to support agencies, caregivers and frontline workers who do this vital work every day.”
In their release, the province said the latest increase brings total funding for CFS services delivered through authorities, agencies and Indigenous jurisdiction to $458 million. They have increased that funding by $77.3 million since 2023-24.
“Consistent with the Manitoba government’s commitment to reconciliation and the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples over their own children,” the release reads, “this includes funding to support shared objectives like placement priority for customary- and kinship-care agreements to create a strong foundation for transition as First Nations reclaim jurisdiction over child welfare.”
