Early Learning and Child Care in Manitoba –
A Plan for Action
Manitoba continues with efforts to modernize early learning and child care (ELCC), building a stronger and more responsive system to ensure high-quality, affordable and accessible services for all families and to advance Manitoba’s economic growth by supporting parents to participate in the workforce.
Canada-Manitoba, Canada –Wide ELCC Agreement
In August 2021, the Governments of Canada and Manitoba signed the Canada-Manitoba, Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (Canada-Wide Agreement). This agreement provides $1.2 billion in federal funding over five years from 2021- 2022 to 2025-2026 to reduce licensed child care costs for families and to expand access to quality, inclusive child care spaces for children under the age of seven.
In March 2024, the Government of Manitoba and Canada also entered into the Canada-Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Funding Annex (IFA) of the Canada-Wide Agreement. The IFA commits $20.9M during the first three years from 2023-2024 to 2025-2026, to support greater inclusion within existing space creation targets through capital infrastructure investments for underserved communities. Manitoba and Canada jointly established priorities for the Canada- Wide Agreement and the IFA. The Canada- Wide Action Plans focuses on long-term initiatives that strengthen the four foundational pillars of ELCC: affordability, accessibility, quality, and inclusion.
The IFA Action Plan for 2024-2026 supports the creation of child care spaces in priority areas and underserved communities through partnerships with Regional Health Authorities and health care facilities.
In February 2025, the Canada-Wide Agreement was extended through to 2030-2031, with a total investment of $1.77 billion over five years. At the same time, the IFA was extended for an additional year to 2026-2027, with an additional $9.48 million committed for its fourth year. Future Action Plans will be developed.
Action Plans:
Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement Action Plan 2023 - 2026
Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund Action Plan 2024 - 2026 (PDF)
*This version of Manitoba’s Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund Agreement and Action Plan is being published pending the creation of the final approved federal version.
Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement Action Plan 2021-2023
Annual Reports:
2023-2024 (PDF)
2022-2023 (PDF)
2021-2022 (PDF)
Canada-Manitoba ELCC Agreement
In December 2024 , Manitoba and Canada signed a one year extension to the 2021-2025 Canada-Manitoba ELCC Agreement , providing an additional $21.8M in 2025-2026 to strengthen Manitoba’s regulated child care services and offer support for the recruitment and retention of the child care workforce. Since 2022, the Canda-Manitoba ELCC Agreement has provided over $119 M towards investments that build on previous ELCC bilateral agreements since 2017.
Under this agreement, Manitoba’s Action Plan serves as a mechanism to support short-term initiatives that can have long-term impacts on the early learning and child care workforce and the development of programs and services, informed through consultation and early learning and child care sector feedback.
In February 2025, the Bilateral Agreement was extended to 2030–31, with a five-year investment of $127 million. Future Action Plans for the extension will be developed.
Action Plans:
2025-2026 (PDF)
*This version of Manitoba’s Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund Agreement and Action Plan is being published pending the creation of the final approved federal version.
Key Priorities
These agreements establish a partnership to continue working towards implementing an accessible system capable of growing to meet the needs of children, families, the early learning and child care workforce and our communities. Guided by the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework, these agreements prioritize the following areas for investment:
- Accessibility - Increasing the number of child care spaces and providing greater flexibility in operational hours.
- Affordability - Reducing parent fees for child care and continuing to offer Child Care Subsidy for families to ensure cost isn’t a barrier to accessing quality early learning and child care.
- Quality - Improving child care services curriculum redevelopment and additional tools and resources for child care facilities, and additional supports including enhanced wages for the child care workforce.
- Inclusivity - Enhanced adaptable curriculum framework to integrate Indigenous, cultural and community perspectives ensuring vulnerable communities – including children with disabilities and children needing enhanced or individual supports, racialized children, children of newcomers, and official language minorities – have equitable access to regulated child care spaces.
- Reporting - Enhanced and/or new IT business solutions to demonstrate sound potential for favourable returns on investment through on-going cost- benefit analyses of child care investments producing solid results towards a sustainable long-term funding and capacity building approach.
The principles for building an improved and modernized system will be anchored by a new legislation and policy framework promoting a foundation that will allow the flexibility to support continuous improvements to funding and targeted supports for regulated child care providers and families.
To learn more about Manitoba's progress on child care visit the News Releases Section.
