Winnipeg Free Press
By: Brenda Still
Opinion
Why are school-age children being excluded?
Provincial government statistics indicate just under 13,000, or 12 per cent of, children aged six to 12 years, had the opportunity to attend licensed school-age (SA) child-care programs in our province. But if Bill 47, The Early Learning and Child Care Act, is passed this may no longer be the case. It is not what is written in this bill that is worrying, but what is missing.
This bill defines a "child" as an individual under the age of 12, a "preschool-age child", as a child two years of age or older who is not a SA and an "infant" as a child under two years. Yet, within the body of the bill there is no mention of services for SA children.