Places like the Play Pen can be valuable for toddlers in Manitoba’s colder months, Roos wrote in a statement.

“I’m very sad to see it go,” Tianna Denning said of the Play Pen’s impending closure. “It’s a great thing to have in the community.”

To read the entire article, please follow the link to the Winnipeg Free Press.

“We’re thrilled to see both the province and the federal governments have stepped up to meet the child-care needs of our students and faculty on our Bannatyne and Fort Garry campuses. We’ve never had a child-care centre on the Bannatyne campus,” says UM associate vice-president (administration), Raman Dhaliwal.

The proposed new centre at UM’s Bannatyne campus will have 90 spots and an additional 76 spaces will be created at UM’s Campus Children’s Centre Inc. on the Fort Garry campus.

“Residents will now have access to care for their children close to where they are completing their education and training and that is a huge win for students with families. The centre will also offer extended hours to accommodate the clinical schedule of students, which is longer than a typical workday for most people, especially when they are on call,” added Dhaliwal.

UM associate vice-president (administration) Raman Dhaliwal with federal minister Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, and Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister, Wayne Ewasko at July 20, 2023 announcement.

UM submitted an expression of interest for new spaces earlier this year, but efforts to fund and build a centre at UM’s Bannatyne campus have been underway for years.

Dhaliwal says the plan is also to provide access to weekend child-care services to allow time for studying or to help graduate students in the health professions enter the workforce and provide care for Manitobans.

Funding is from the Canada-Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which will provide  $180 million in funding over the next three years to expand child-care spaces in public schools and post-secondary institutions across the province.

“I am proud that we are partnering with the University of Manitoba to add child-care spaces at two of their sites in Winnipeg,” says Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko. “These additional spaces will make a real difference for students, staff and their families and ensure they are able to access high-quality, affordable child care, making it easier to learn and work.”

Projects were chosen based on the feasibility of each institution’s plan, availability of space/land and the need for child care within the area.

“We know that child care is a necessity for Canadian families. That is why Canada and Manitoba are making sure that families in Manitoba have better access to early learning and child care, no matter where they live,” added federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister, Karina Gould, in a joint press release. 

Over the coming months, provincial officials will work with UM to finalize project details and exact timing for new space openings and timelines for when the Bannatyne centre will open.

You can find more information on this story and other child-care initiatives in this press release.

The U of M has identified childcare as an important component in supporting its institutional priorities of offering an exceptional student experience, promoting Indigenous achievement, and creating an outstanding workplace.

“How can students focus on their studies, be present in class, and explore new paths when they must also worry about finding safe, affordable, and reliable care for their children?” said Barnard. “For many student parents, having access to childcare can mean achieving academic success. That’s why I’m so pleased that today we are able to officially open this new expansion of the Campus Day Care Centre and offer affordable childcare to more students here on campus.”

The newly expanded daycare centre offers 54 new spaces for children, all of which have been filled primarily with the children of students. The project’s funders include the Government of Manitoba, which provided capital funding of $600,000, and through the Front and Centre campaign, the University of Manitoba Graduate Students’ Association provided $300,000, and the University of Manitoba Student Union gave $2.4 million to this initiative. 

The funding will also support Campus Children’s Centre in its efforts to weave traditional teachings into the day care’s curriculum, preparing the next generation to continue the process of reconciliation, which is a core value of the University of Manitoba. 

Dawn Montebruno, executive director of the Campus Children’s Centre, said at the event, “A great big thank you to President Barnard, Sarah Guillemard, UMSU and GSA for supporting Campus Children’s Centre, and recognizing the importance of quality childcare on campus.”

Attendees at the event were offered a brief tour of the facility, including a look at the indoor gym, kitchen facilities and the baby room.

Parents are always welcome at the facility, to nurse, or to read or make presentations to the children.

“Campus Children’s Centre provides culturally-diverse families of the University of Manitoba with child-inspired learning opportunities in a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment, so parents can better balance work, education and family life, and children can develop to their fullest potential,” said Montebruno.

A daycare expansion at the University of Manitoba gives priority to Indigenous undergraduate students who need the service while they attend classes and nearly doubles the child-care capacity at the Fort Garry campus.

So it was no surprise to see the university celebrate the grand opening Tuesday with a host of senior academic officials and two local Conservative MLAs — all in their sock feet in the new mini-gym for a series of speeches and to admire the new space.

The $3.3-million expansion includes a 7,750-square-foot addition to the existing centre on Dysart Road. The project broke ground in 2017, in response to a university report four years earlier that called for enhanced daycare services.

Fifty-four new spaces were added to the existing daycare centre that previously had a capacity of 64 children. (Twenty other spaces from elsewhere on campus were also folded into the centre.)

The daycare centre accepts children from the age of three months to six years old. There are 17 spots set aside for the children of Indigenous undergraduate students — and they will be given priority on the waiting list, which now runs to 800 names of students, staff and faculty.

Funding will also support the centre in its efforts to weave traditional Indigenous teachings into the daycare’s curriculum — an effort to prepare the next generation to continue the process of reconciliation, a focus that is part of the university’s core values.

All 138 spots are currently filled.

“It makes a huge difference as we take the next step in reconciliation and make sure our children are aware of things that happened in the past,” said Ashley Davidson, chairwoman of the board for the children’s centre and a U of M employee.

Read the full story here. 

To mark the closure of PlayCare and to thank the staff for their long service, an event will be held on Sept. 19, from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in room 200 of University College (Senior Common Room). All are welcome to attend.

Do you have a PlayCare memory you would like to share? Submissions will be posted in a UM Today photo gallery.

Submit your photos or stories to alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca.

The little daycare that could

PlayCare initially opened with limited equipment, supplies and furniture that were donated, borrowed or purchased with little funding. Funding was precarious, so a shoe string budget and volunteerism kept PlayCare open for those who needed it. Finally, in April 1998, PlayCare became fully subsidized by government funding, ensuring relative financial security for the future.

“PlayCare was started to address the needs of University of Manitoba student parents and has continued with that focus,” said Marlynn Childs, Coordinator, PlayCare Centre. “As a department of Student Affairs it has always been our mandate to prioritize care and early childhood education for the children of students.”

“What I appreciate most about PlayCare is the commitment and dedication of the staff to provide a safe and enriching environment for the youngest members of our campus community,” said Brandy Usick, Executive Director, Student Engagement and Academic Success. “Since its inception, PlayCare has always prioritized the needs of U of M students who have children. Services evolved to meet the needs of students. I am proud of PlayCare’s long time support of student parents and the way in which providing childcare was a factor in their success.”

Decades of dedication to PlayCare

From the countless volunteers and staff members of PlayCare over the years, three important individuals stand out for their dedication to PlayCare. Marylynn Childs, Coordinator of PlayCare for 33 years; Lori Reuther, Senior Early Childhood Educator, with PlayCare for 31 years; and Marian Siemens, Senior Early Childhood Educator, with PlayCare for 12 years. With their years of commitment to childcare, they helped shape PlayCare into the institution it is today.

“My best memories of my time at PlayCare have been watching the children develop and grow,” said Childs. “Recently at an anniversary party a former PlayCare child, who had just turned 16, came to visit and shared her happy reminiscences of attending PlayCare. We take pride in our role of supporting student parents. Mentoring student staff has also brought us a great deal of satisfaction.”

Campus Children’s Centre opening its doors

Children currently enrolled in PlayCare will be transitioned over to the larger Campus Children’s Centre with some familiar faces from PlayCare.

“All of the children currently enrolled at PlayCare have been offered a space at Campus Children’s Centre and many of the staff will be moving there with them,” said Childs. “Throughout the summer we have been invited to make several visits to campus to play in the playground and participate in events such as the petting zoo. Campus Children’s Centre is committed to supporting U of M students, dedicating half of their child care spaces for that purpose.”

The Campus Children’s Centre is in the process of expanding, with an event to mark the re-opening to be held in October. After an in-depth analysis of child care models at other Canadian universities, and exploring child care options, the University of Manitoba determined that working in partnership with the existing Campus Children’s Centre would provide the opportunity to increase child care spots and help strengthen an already positive relationship between the not for profit licensed centre and the campus community.

Saying goodbye to PlayCare

To mark the closure of PlayCare and to thank the staff for their long service, an event will be held on Sept. 19, from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in room 200 of University College (Senior Common Room). All are welcome to attend.

Do you have a PlayCare memory you would like to share? Submissions will be posted in a UM Today photo gallery. Submit your photos or stories to alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca.