Manitoba budget adds more for kids and cuts clawback on child benefit. (Child And Family).

WINNIPEG -- The Manitoba government will introduce a multi-year plan for child care along with $16 million in increased funding as part of its 2002 budget, Finance Minister Greg Selinger announced. In 2003 they will restore the child benefit clawback for children ages 6-12.

The budget also included:

* the new Healthy Schools pilot program linking public health services with local schools,

* addition of 26 parent-child centres,

* full implementation of the Healthy Baby program,

* expansion of the fetal alcohol syndrome/effect (FAS/FAE) prevention programs,

* additional support for the Aboriginal Child Welfare Initiative,

* creation of a separate office for disability related issues.

Effective January 2003, the provincial government will end the clawback of the National Child Benefit from families receiving social assistance who have children aged seven to 12. Last year, the benefit was restored to families with children six and under.

However, there was no budget commitment to end the clawback for children aged 12 to 17, said the Winnipeg Social Planning Council. The organization expressed disappointment that the provincial government did not respond more to the reduction in growth of the economy in the last year. This is the time for investment, especially in programs for low-income Manitobans who would be most negatively affected by the slowdown and who are most likely to engage in stimulative spending rather than saving, it said.