Childcare in an Age-Friendly City

The provision of child care in Manitoba is primarily a Provincial responsibility. That being said, child care is an essential community-based service and it makes a valuable contribution to the social and economic development of Brandon.

The lack of child care threatens Brandon's high quality of life and our City's future prosperity. Child care is also an investment in the future; as high quality child care is associated with improved child outcomes, including school readiness and success.

To prosper, Brandon needs to be committed to being a leader and an active partner with the senior levels of government, the Brandon School Division, business, child care providers, faith organizations, parents, and the community in developing and maintaining a comprehensive child care system.

#1: Brandon needs a community wide child care strategy- this strategy would:

• define the City's role in relation to senior levels of government,
• recommend policies and tools to support existing spaces and facilitate the provision of new child care spaces,
• identify potential funding and partnership arrangements, and
• establish child care targets by which the strategy can be regularly monitored and evaluated.
• establish a child care strategy task group with broad stakeholder representation
• carry out a needs assessment for child care in the city (what we have and what we need).

#2: Enhance the City's status as a progressive employer- a joint employer-employee committee would be established to review the City's policies and practices and where possible, recommend adjustments to assist city employees to better balance their responsibilities to both work and family. This committee would also determine the child care needs of employees and explore options in meeting those needs.

#3: Work with the Brandon School Division with a goal to transform neighbourhood schools into community hubs in after-school hours. This builds on the successful Lighthouse After school Program that served 500 children last year, Youth Activity Centres (291 children) were introduced this year as well as seasonal recreation HUBS (362 children).

• Phase 1- extended daycare, before and after school care, early literacy programming, ESL language classes, parenting classes, parent and tot drop-in programs, public health
• Phase 2- adult and family literacy programming, community meeting spaces
• Phase 3- seniors and youth support services

#4: Incorporate Early Childhood Development principles into child focused City programs.