Child Care

As you begin to plan how your life will change it's a good idea to think about whether you will need child care after the birth of your child. Just know that you might change your mind when the time comes – perhaps your plans to return to work full-time may change to part-time, or your plans to stay at home may need to change due to financial demands.

Many people end up with plans that are different than what they set out to do and that's okay. If you take some time now to learn about your child care options, you'll likely have your choice of child care arrangements by the time your child is ready for child care. If there is a centre or home that you would like to use, contact them as soon as you can to learn more about their program.

If you plan to join the workforce or go to school, it's important to plan early for child care. Manitoba has more than 1,000 licensed child care facilities and there are many different types of child care available, from large child care centres to smaller home day cares. There are also different locations to consider, and different styles of care. Fees for child care, too, can vary but you may qualify for a subsidy. If you have a child with special needs, you may want to know what specialized services and supports may be available to your child.

Manitoba has a centralized online child care registry you can use to place your child on a licensed child care facility's wait list. To get the information you need on these and other child care-related matters, follow the links in this section.