School-Based Child Care Centre Expansion Project

Manitoba’s Action Plan under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement provides capital funding for the development and expansion of child care centres to increase access to licensed child care.

Under the agreement, Manitoba is targeting the development of 23,000 new full time child care spaces by March 31, 2026, with dedicated capital grant funding to support the creation of 5,890 new child care spaces through capital projects.

The School-Based Child Care Expansion Project enables schools to develop or expand on-site child care programming. The project is open to Manitoba school divisions willing to provide surplus land or school building space for new child care spaces including infant, preschool and school-age spaces.

New child care centres or conversions to existing school building space will be fully funded under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The centre will also receive start-up and operating grant funding as and when the new spaces are developed, licensed and opened. Project management will be the responsibility of the school division, and will be considered as part of the overall project costs.