CHILD CARE
According to a survey conducted on behalf of the Manitoba Child Care Association in 2025: 37% OF PARENTS TURNED DOWN A JOB because of problems finding child care 52% DELAYED RETURNING TO WORK because of problems finding child care 17% QUIT A JOB because of issues with child care 63% TURNED DOWN EXTRA HOURS at work because of a lack of child care
imperative for the rest of that child's life,” Friesen says. “My experience even in talk- ing to parents when they finally get a spot is just the relief of knowing that they're going to have a spot at the Y — that there is this infrastructure, those standards they know we can be trusted for. I think that relief is hard to put into words for the many parents I talk to. It is relief because we are part of their family network.” Expanding that network is essential, not only for the sense of relief and certainty it gives families but for the stability it offers the workforce, Saftiuk says. “Without access to high- quality child care that families can rely on, labour force participation will remain arti- ficially constrained.” ■
“You want to make sure that your kids are safe, that they are growing, that they are developing. That social infra- structure provides stability in the workforce.” Families of children with physical or developmental disabilities face additional challenges that may require collaboration between medical professionals and daycare staff to ensure the child’s devel- opmental needs are met. The wait for those supports can also prevent or delay a return to work. “It really is a community response. And for parents to have that kind of support when you're worried about your child meeting those crucial stepping stones, espe- cially through chronic illness or chronic developmental situations, it is a community
SOURCE: CHILD CARE IN MANITOBA: PARENT SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS HTTPS://MCCAHOUSE. ORG/SITES/DEFAULT/FILES/2025-09/ MCCA%20MINI%20REPORT%20%28MEDIA%20 RELEASE%29.PDF
22
SUMMER 2026
Powered by FlippingBook