Carberry Committee Seeks Provincial Funding for New Daycare

A committee in Carberry, Manitoba, has initiated plans for a new daycare facility aimed at accommodating 55 children and is actively seeking grant funding from the provincial government. The proposed daycare, spearheaded by the Tiny Taters Childcare Co-operative, would be a significant addition to the community, which currently faces a substantial childcare shortage.

Krista Plaisier, the chair of the committee, confirmed that they are finalizing the grant application for a 5,400-square-foot facility designed to provide care for infants, preschool-aged children, and to offer before and after school programs. “We’re just in the process now of completing the grant application to get it into the province,” Plaisier stated in early October.

The Town of Carberry, under the leadership of Mayor Ray Muirhead, is supporting this initiative by agreeing to forgive property taxes for the daycare for a period of 25 years. This move is aimed at alleviating some financial burdens as the town grapples with the pressing need for more childcare options. Currently, the only licensed daycare in Carberry has a waitlist of approximately 120 children.

The site for the new daycare will be situated on land sold for just $1 by the Town of Carberry and the Rural Municipality of North Cypress-Langford. The facility’s design includes features such as eight infant spaces, two preschool rooms accommodating 16 children each, a room for after-school programs with capacity for 15 children, a commercial kitchen, administrative offices, and accessible bathrooms equipped with “tiny toilets.”

The financial projection for the daycare is estimated at around $4 million. The co-operative plans to request 60 percent of the funding from the Province of Manitoba, while the remaining costs will be covered through a mortgage, fundraising efforts, and ongoing operational support provided by the province for daycares.

Mayor Muirhead emphasized the importance of this project, noting that while the town is not directly managing the daycare, it is committed to facilitating its establishment. “They’ve really come a long way from the beginning till now,” he remarked, praising the organized efforts of the committee, which consists of ten volunteers, including local councillors Dallis Olmstead and Mike Sudak. Most committee members are parents or grandparents, reflecting a strong community interest in the project.

The urgency for expanding childcare services aligns with the provincial government’s initiative to create 23,000 new childcare spaces across Manitoba by March 2026. As of February 2023, the province reported achieving about 44 percent of this target. Plaisier expressed optimism about the grant application process, stating, “As long as we get our application in before the spaces are filled, we don’t feel that it’ll be any problem.”

While a spokesperson for the Province of Manitoba indicated that it is premature to comment on the Carberry proposal until the grant application is submitted, Plaisier noted that this application will mark a significant step forward for the committee. The movement towards establishing a daycare in Carberry has been ongoing for several years, but the committee was formally established about a year ago.

In collaboration with Co-operatives First, a co-operative organization from Saskatchewan, the Carberry committee has developed comprehensive plans for the daycare. With the groundwork laid and community support building, residents await further developments on this vital project that promises to enhance childcare availability in the area.