Saturday, March 4, 2023 - Our government is listening to your concerns and we are getting things done! $10 a day Daycare and help for Seniors who need to buy a hearing aid, plus more.
Watch the video above as I wrap up the week in politics and our community.
As part of the Manitoba government’s ongoing efforts to be a national leader in affordable and accessible child care, Premier Heather Stefanson announced today Manitoba has reached a historic milestone in which Manitoba families will pay a maximum of $10 a day for children 12 years and under for regular hours of care, beginning April 2.
“Our government recognizes that access to affordable and high-quality child care is essential for Manitobans to participate in the workforce, support their families and play an active role in the growth of their communities and the economy,” said Stefanson. “Today, I am proud to share that with the significant initiatives our government has implemented over the past few years to lower parent fees and build capacity in the child-care system, we have gone above and beyond our commitment by reducing all parent fees to $10 a day for children 12 and under attending licensed, funded early learning and child-care centres and homes. Our government recognizes many Manitoba families are struggling to make ends meet and this partnership and our significant investments will save Manitoba families thousands of dollars a year in child-care fees.”
Under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, the Manitoba government committed to decreasing parent fees and reaching an average of $10 per day by 2026. Today, the Manitoba government announced it has surpassed its commitment and has done so three years ahead of schedule, the premier noted.
As part of efforts to strengthen the workforce, the Manitoba government also announced today an expression of interest to expand post-secondary training options for early learning and child-care professionals, the minister noted.
The expression of interest invites post-secondary institutions to apply for funding to develop new programming to train child-care professionals and will help ensure there are an additional 1,000 child-care assistants and 2,000 early childhood educators by 2026, the minister said, adding that post-secondary institutions are also invited to submit proposals for the expansion of child-care services on campus to support students, employees and communities.
For more information about early learning and child care in Manitoba, visit: www.manitoba.ca/childcare.
For more information about the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, visit: www.canada.ca/en/early-learning-child-care-agreement/agreements-provinces-territories/manitoba-canada-wide-2021.html.
Hearing Aid Grants
The Manitoba government is creating a new $12.6-million grant program that will assist eligible older Manitobans experiencing hearing loss to cover the expense of testing, fitting and purchasing new hearing aids.
Our government recognizes hearing loss as priority concern for seniors and with this grant more Manitoba seniors who require hearing aids will have the financial means to access them regardless of income level.
According to Department of Health statistics, nearly 4,000 seniors over the age of 65 reported hearing loss during a physician visit in 2021 and roughly 25 per cent of seniors have hearing loss at a level that would benefit from hearing aid use.
The hearing aid grant of up to $2,000 is available to all Manitobans who meet the following eligibility criteria:
age 65 or over;
family income below $80,000 in the previous year;
have documented hearing loss; and
have been prescribed hearing aids by an audiologist or otolaryngologist.
“We have received many heartbreaking emails and phone calls from seniors or their caregivers asking for help because they need hearing aids but could not afford them,” said Jo-anne Jones, president, Canadian Hard of Hearing Association Manitoba Chapter. “This new grant is a great step in ensuring many more Manitoba seniors will have the hearing aids they need and better healthier lifestyles as a result.”
The Manitoba government will begin accepting applications later this spring.
To read the strategy, visit https://gov.mb.ca/seniors/docs/seniors_strategy_2023.pdf.
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