Careers in Child Care

What is Manitoba's child care system all about?

Licensed child care in Manitoba helps support parents and create the best possible outcomes for children. The Manitoba Child Care Program of Family Services and Consumer Affairs oversees the licensed child care system. Licensed child care includes full-time infant and preschool centres, school age centres, and licensed nursery schools, as well as child care in homes.

Manitoba currently has 1,100 licensed child care facilities with about 29,000 spaces throughout the province. It is estimated that more than 35,000 children, including over 1,400 children with disabilities, use these spaces each year. Some attend part-time licensed nursery schools. Others attend licensed child care centres or homes on a part-time or full-time basis.

In 1983, The Community Child Care Standards Act was established to define the types of child care settings that require licensing. The Act and its regulations also ensure that child care in licensed centres and homes meets certain minimum standards, including the number of trained ECEs required to work in centres or nursery schools.

Regulations ensure child-focused, play-based, age-appropriate programming. Centres must provide a variety of activities, as well as space and equipment for creative art, music, science, dramatic play, reading, fine motor, large motor, blocks, water, sand and construction.

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