MMF responds to Manitoba and Canada's commitment to Affordable Child Care

February 17, 2023

Winnipeg, MB, in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis - On February 16, 2023, Canada and Manitoba announced a strategy to support the creation of "1,670 new child-care spaces" in "rural and First Nations communities." The release can be found at the following link: https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/?archive=&item=58197

The plan includes 23 new childcare centres in various cities, towns, rural municipalities, and First Nation communities across Manitoba. The MMF is deeply troubled that Canada and Manitoba elected not to involve the Red River Métis in their childcare strategy.

"Canada and Manitoba should be ashamed," said MMF Minister of Early Learning and Child Care, Frances Chartrand. "Ignoring the Red River Métis ignores both government's commitment to reconciliation. We are very happy for the First Nations that will benefit from this strategy, but we should not have to fight for this investment into our Nation."

"Finding ways to avoid working with the Red River Métis Government and focusing exclusively on municipalities and First Nations is a discrimination against our people," said Minister Chartrand. "Meanwhile, the Government of Canada publicly commits themselves to work with all Indigenous People, but continues to discriminate against the Red River Métis. They keep excluding us from programs designed to support all Indigenous Peoples."

The National Government of the Red River Métis will be drafting a letter to the federal and provincial Ministers, strongly recommending a meeting to discuss how decisions like this affect our families and future of our Nation.

"This is an insult to our hardworking, tax-paying families across the province," said Minister Chartrand. "Our People are largely the working poor in Manitoba. They rely heavily on affordable childcare in order to go to work and earn a living for their families."

The Red River Métis are the single largest Indigenous Nation in Manitoba with Citizens from Emerson to Churchill. To date, the MMF has created 250 childcare spaces in their centres across the province.

"We are putting tremendous energy into building our Nation up through early learning, but there is already a shortage of workers in the Early Childcare sector." said Minister Chartrand. "Instead of having government-to-government partners we have competition for scarce resources."

The MMF continues to implement its Red River Métis-specific childcare strategy across the Homeland. To learn more about MMF's ELCC program, please visit: /early-learning-child-care

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Believe in Yourself; Believe in Métis.

The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) is the democratically elected National Government of the Red River Métis, also known as the Manitoba Métis, the origin and core of the Métis Nation. The Red River Métis are Canada's Negotiating Partners in Confederation and the Founders of the Province of Manitoba.



For more information, media may contact:
Kat Patenaude
Media Relations Advisor
Manitoba Métis Federation
204-801-7710
Kat.Patenaude@mmf.mb.ca

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