The Manitoba government has announced a $300,000 investment to support Harvest Manitoba’s First Steps Infant Care program, a provincewide initiative that provides essential nutrition and care items to families with infants under the age of two. Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine said the funding will help ensure that babies across Manitoba have access to the food and supplies they need during the most critical stages of early development.
“Ensuring every child can access healthy food while they grow is critical to long‑term health and development,” Fontaine said. “This funding will help families, particularly Indigenous families, access the nutrition and support they need in these important first years of life, so babies can grow up strong, nurtured and resilient.”
The First Steps Infant Care program supplies families with diapers, baby cereal, baby food, and infant formula at no cost. Harvest Manitoba currently supports up to 2,000 babies each month through 130 community agencies across the province. This includes northern and remote communities, where Harvest partners with Nutrition North Canada to help overcome transportation and affordability challenges.
For many families, especially those experiencing food insecurity, the cost of basic baby items can be overwhelming. Vince Barletta, president and CEO of Harvest Manitoba, said the provincial investment will make a meaningful difference.
“Those first months and years of a child’s life are so important, yet for many families the cost of basic baby items can create financial strain and enormous stress,” Barletta said. “This support from the Manitoba government will help ensure that babies have access to the nutrition and care they need, while easing a significant burden for parents during a time that should be focused on bonding with their child.”
The funding aligns with Manitoba’s broader poverty‑reduction efforts, including the Pathways Forward strategy, which prioritizes supports for children from prenatal stages through early childhood. It also advances food‑security goals within the Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag: All Women Doing Well strategy, which highlights the unique barriers Indigenous families often face in accessing healthy, affordable food.
By strengthening the sustainability of the First Steps Infant Care program, the province aims to reduce structural barriers and ensure that families—regardless of location or income—can access the essentials needed to give their children a strong start.
More information about the First Steps Infant Care program is available at Harvest Manitoba’s website.
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