This
paper provides an overview of childcare needs in the
Pembina Valley (the Morden-Winkler-Stanley region). It proposes options to strengthen and grow
family-friendly childcare services in the Valley, and addresses a number of questions, including:
What do we know about the population of the region?
How many children 0 - 12 live in
the Pembina Valley?
What is the female labour force
participation rate? What capacity for greater female labour force participation
exists?
How is immigration changing the
demographics of the area?How many children in the area
require childcare, either because one or both parents are in the labour force,
in school or training, or to be available for community service?
What does a current snapshot of
regulated childcare services indicate about the access and availability of
services for local families? How many of what kinds of services exist?
How many staff are employed in
the childcare sector? What is the sector’s direct value, and what kind of value
does it generate to the Pembina Valley?
What predictions can be made about current and future childcare needs?
The paper grows out of interest sparked by the October 10,
2008 talk “Surprising Returns: The Economic Benefits of Rural Childcare,’
organized by a local committee in the Pembina Valley, and facilitated by the
Child Care Coalition of Manitoba. Over twenty five people attended the
lunchtime talk, held at the Minnewasta Golf and Country Club in Morden.
Evaluation surveys revealed a strong interest in the economic and business case
evidence for expanded childcare services.
That information session was organized by an informal
committee. The group met with the Coalition in early December 2008 to discuss next steps. The Coalition
accepted the committee’s request to prepare a needs analysis and options paper,
and the committee offered to act as a reference group. Members of the committee
for the ongoing phase are:
Advisory Committee
Members
Tracy Bamford - Coordinator
Healthy Child Coalition - Central Region
Cheryl Digby - Community
Development Officer, Town of Morden
Carol Gardiner- Coordinator,
Manitoba Child Care Program – Central Region
Ken Reimer - Community
Development Coordinator, Community Futures Heartland
Shauna Richards - Director,
Morden Community Child Care Centre
