Child Care Assistant and Early Childhood Educator Classification
Anyone seeking paid employment in a child care centre in Manitoba may apply for classification. Classification levels are based on completed post-secondary education. Volunteers may also apply for classification. There are three levels in Manitoba:
- Child Care Assistant (CCA)
- Early Childhood Educator II (ECE II)
- Early Childhood Educator III (ECE III).
The process of classification must be completed before beginning employment at a licensed child care centre. Licensed family home-based child care providers do not require classification. There is no charge to apply for classification in Manitoba. However within the first year of employment, all Child Care Assistants and licensed family home-based child care providers are required to complete the Forty Hour Couse- see section below.
For more information about Early Learning and Child Care classification in Manitoba and how to apply see section Information on the Classification of Early Childhood Educators and Child Care Assistants.
Becoming an Early Childhood Educator Has Never Been Easier
*NEW* ECE II Training Options in Manitoba at a Glance
ECE II Training Pathways (PDF)
Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) play an important role in helping children learn and grow. Upgrading your classification from a Child Care Assistant to an Early Childhood Educator II can provide you with more career opportunities and higher wages.
Education and Training
40-Hour Course
In Manitoba, all Child Care Assistants (CCAs) and licensed home-based child care providers are required to complete a 40-hour course related to early learning and child care within the first year of employment. Click here for a list of eligible post-secondary institutions that offer ECE programs and course options in Manitoba.
Diploma and Degree Progams
The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing more than $24 million to develop and expand early childhood educator (ECE) and child-care assistant (CCA) training programs at Manitoba’s post-secondary institutions over the next three years. Additional seats will be available at Assiniboine Community College, the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, Red River College Polytechnic, University College of the North and the Université de Saint-Boniface. Learn more about the educational opportunities.
In Manitoba, Early Learning and Child Care Educators (ECE II and ECE III) are required to complete an Early Childhood Education diploma or degree program.
(ECE) II Assessment Program (incl. Competency Based Assessment and Prior Learning Assessment (CBA\PLA) Programs)
The (ECE) II Assessment Program provides an opportunity to eligible child care employees working in licensed centres to demonstrate their skills, knowledge and judgment according to required standards. Successful completion results in an Early Childhood Educator II (ECE II) classification level.
Child Abuse Prevention Training
An initiative supported by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and the governments of Canada and Manitoba
The Child Abuse Prevention Training program will provide access to a suite of online course material as well as supporting digital and print resources to identify possible child abuse in infants to 12 year olds.
Early Childhood Educators (ECEs), Child Care Assistants (CCAs), and volunteers in licensed child care facilities (centres and homes) will be required to complete the mandatory training by March 31, 2025 and every fours years thereafter. This training is also available to early childhood education students enrolled in recognized post-secondary programs in Manitoba to help prepare them for entering the workforce. For more information about how to access this training speak to your child care facility or contact cdcinfo@gov.mb.ca.
