Province of Manitoba | education - Child Care Subsidy FAQ

Child Care Subsidy Program

Child Care Subsidy Program

General Overview

What is the Child Care Subsidy Program?
Manitoba's Child Care Subsidy Program provides support to eligible families to help with the cost of child care for children from 12 weeks to 12 years of age. Subsidy pays for part of the daily fees charged by licensed early learning and child care facilities on behalf of eligible families.

Can I get subsidy when my child is attending any child care facility?
To receive subsidy, your child(ren) must be enrolled in a provincially licensed centre, nursery school or child care home in Manitoba. If the facility is not licensed or is a licensed facility that does not enroll subsidized children, the subsidy application cannot be approved.

Can I be subsidized if my child attends part-time?
Yes. Your family will be assessed and approved for the days your child attends a licensed facility.

Are there different types of child care subsidy approval?
Yes. A family may be approved for a partial or full subsidy based on the family's assessed financial eligibility.

If I qualify for full subsidy, are my child care fees completely subsidized by the government?
No. The maximum regulated daily fees include a maximum subsidized fee and a maximum non-subsidized additional fee. The non-subsidized additional daily fee that facilities may charge varies from $1.00 to $3.00 based on the type of space and hours of care.
For example, for a preschool child attending between 4 to 10 hours per day, the subsidized fee is $8.00, and the non-subsidized additional fee is $2.00 for a total of $10.00 per day. For more information, visit Province of Manitoba | education - Child Care Fees.

What is the Provincial Contribution and Family Contribution for subsidy?
The Provincial Contribution is the amount the province will pay directly to the facility on behalf of a family. The Family Contribution is the amount the family pays for every 28-day reporting period based on family's assessed financial eligibility.
Families are responsible to pay the facility for the Family Contribution portion of the fee, as well as the additional non-subsidized daily fee charged by the facility.

If I qualify for subsidy, how long will the subsidy last?
Subsidy approval periods are from 6 months up to a maximum of one year. The start and end dates of the Subsidy Approval Period are written on the subsidy approval letter. It is important for families to keep track of the approval end date and reapply for subsidy before the expiry date.

What are allowable absent days?
Allowable absent days are the maximum number of days that a child receiving subsidy may be absent from the child care facility during the Subsidy Approval Period. The Total Allowable Absent Days is written on subsidy approval letters.
When a child is in attendance for 85 per cent or more of the days within an approval period, subsidy will be paid for all days – days attended and days absent.
For example, if a child is approved for five days per week for six 28-day reporting periods:

There are 120 possible days of attendance (5 days x 4 weeks x 6 periods = 120).
The allowable absent days for this approval period would be 18 (15 per cent of 120 days).

What happens if I use all my allowable absent days before the end of the subsidy approval period?
If your child's absent days exceed 15 per cent of the total days:

Subsidy will only be paid for the days your child was in attendance until the end of approval period.
You will be required to pay the full parent fees for any additional absent days until the end of approval period.

Important: Keep track of the number of days your child is absent to make you do not use all the allowable absent days before the end of the subsidy approval period.
In special circumstances such as an accident or medical condition, families may contact the Child Care Subsidy Program to be considered for approval of additional absent days.

What is the Subsidy Eligibility Estimator?
Before filling out a subsidy application, you can use the Subsidy Eligibility Estimator to help estimate if you might be eligible for subsidy, and if so, the estimated Family and Provincial Contribution amounts.
However, eligibility and the exact Family and Provincial Contribution amounts can only be confirmed through the application process which will assess the financial circumstances of your family (read section about Subsidy Eligibility and Reasons of Care below).
To find out if you qualify for full or partial child care subsidy, it is recommended that you submit a subsidy application.

Subsidy Eligibility and Reasons for Care

What is child care subsidy eligibility based on?
Eligibility is based on the reason for care and the calculations outlined in Child Care Regulation, M.R. 62/86 , which determines a family's contribution amount and includes:

Annual household income
Allowable family deductions based on family composition, dependent children under 18 years of age and if the child requiring child care has additional support needs
Number and ages of children
Cost of licensed child care

What are the reasons for care to qualify for a child care subsidy?
To qualify for subsidy, the applicant and co-applicant (when applicable) must have at least one of the following reasons for care.

Employment
Education
Seeking Employment
Special Needs
Medical/Rehabilitation
Nursery School enrolment

What types of employment are considered a reason for care?
Employment as a reason for care includes, but is not limited to:

Full-time employment
Part-time employment
Seasonal employment
Shift work
Casual
Remote
Self-employment

Please note: Subsidy approval cannot be considered for applicants doing volunteer work unless it is a prerequisite for an approved reason for care.

What types of education are considered a reason for care?
Education as a reason for care includes, but is not limited to:

High school
College
University
Online courses
Practicum placements
English as an additional language programs
Adult education programs
Various programs supporting individuals to gain employment skills

Please note: Subsidy approval cannot be considered for applicants taking general interest, fitness, or leisure programs.

What is a special needs reason for care?
This reason for care may relate to the special needs of the child or the applicant. For example:

A child with additional support needs who has been assessed by a qualified professional as a child who has one or more physical, cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities.
An applicant who is a newcomer or refugee, experiencing domestic or family violence, living in a shelter, or is in unexpected circumstances.

What is a medical/rehabilitation reason for care?
Medical/rehabilitation reason for care includes but is not limited to:

Long-term medical condition
Short-term medical condition
Addictions recovery/treatment
Maternity or parental leave if collecting Employment Insurance (EI) benefits

What is nursery school enrolment as a reason for care?

Nursery school enrolment as a reason for care can be a valuable option for part-time child care needs or for stay-at-home parents. Assessment for nursery school subsidy is still income-based but does not require any other reason for care. Parents do not have to be working or going to school to qualify for subsidy when their child is attending a nursery school program. Subsidy with this reason for care is available for up to 5 nursery school sessions (0 to 4 hours) per week.

Can I qualify for subsidy while I am on maternity/paternity leave?
If you are receiving Employment Insurance (EI) maternity or parental benefits, you can apply for subsidy under the Medical/Rehabilitation reason for care.

Can I receive subsidy for the period between my subsidy expiry date and the start of school/training?
You may be eligible to receive subsidy for a period of up to four weeks between the expiration of your subsidy and the start of a school/training program. Contact the Child Care Subsidy Program to discuss whether you may be eligible.

My subsidy expires at the end of the month. Can I get an extension on my subsidy for a couple of weeks?
You should reapply for subsidy before the expiry date of your current approval period. Please note: There is limited ability to backdate the approval of a late subsidy application.
Contact the Child Care Subsidy Program to discuss whether you may be eligible for an extension if you have a reasonable explanation for the delay in applying (for example: difficulty completing the application, being hospitalized).

Applying for Child Care Subsidy

How do I apply for child care subsidy?
You have two options to apply for subsidy:

Apply online and receive a Submission Number.

Contact the Child Care Subsidy Program to get a paper application mailed to you. You are encouraged to submit the required documents with your completed paper application.

How do I apply for subsidy online?
To apply online, you must be a registered user of Child Care Online. If you do not have an account, click Register on the login page and create a password. Once you are registered, you will receive a verification link by email to Activate/Verify your account.
You must check your email and follow the link to verify your account within 30 minutes, or you will have to re-register. Once you have verified your account, select Click to Login. Once you log in, you can select subsidy application and complete your application.
Please note: The email used to register your account will be your username.

If I forget my Child Care Online password, how do I get a new one?
To reset your password, go to the Login page at Child Care Online and click Reset Password.
Please note: The email used to register your account will be your username.

If I start my online application but can't complete it, can I submit it later?

Yes. Child Care Online allows you to save a working copy of your online subsidy application that you can view and edit for up to 30 days before submitting it.
Please note: Once your online application is submitted, you cannot view or edit it. If your application needs any changes after it is submitted, email cdcsubsidy@gov.mb.ca with your Submission Number and the required changes.

What documents/information will help me complete my subsidy application?
Prior to completing your subsidy application, families are encouraged to collect:

Financial documents to verify sources of income provided on your application:
- For employment: copies of two current back-to-back paystubs.
- For self-employment: Income Tax Return, Canada Revenue Agency Proof of Income Statement showing lines 13500-14300.
- For Employment Insurance (EI): Employment Income Gross Amount Statement if you are receiving EI.
- For all other sources of income: Supporting documentation.
Name of Licensed Child Care Facility: Subsidy applications can be submitted before a child is enrolled in a facility; however, it cannot be processed until the name of the licensed facility is provided. Use Manitoba Child Care Search to help find a facility that meets your needs and confirm enrolment.

What documents/information do I need to submit for my application to be processed?
Families are required to submit financial documents and the name of the licensed child care facility that their child(ren) will be attending for their application to be processed.
Online Application: After you click Submit, a listing of required documents will be displayed on the screen with your Submission Number that you can view or print.
Paper Application: If the financial documents and/or the name of child care facility are not included with the submission of a paper application, you will be contacted by email or mail based on the method of communication selected in the application.

Are there timelines required to submit the required documents/information?
Yes. Applications are closed and families need to reapply if the required documents and/or information is not provided within the following timelines:

Financial documents must be submitted within 31 days of the date of application.
Name of the facility must be submitted within 90 days of the date of application.

How long does it take to process my application?
It may take up to 6 to 8 weeks to review and assess your subsidy application.

How will I be notified about my eligibility and the amount of subsidy I will receive?
You will be notified by email or mail based on the method of communication selected on your application about your eligibility as well as the Family and Provincial Contribution amounts (when applicable).

How will I know the start and end date of my subsidy approval?
The start and end dates of the Subsidy Approval Period are written on subsidy approval letters. It is important for families to keep track of the approval end (expiry) date and reapply for subsidy before the expiry date.
An expiry letter will be sent to you before the subsidy expiry date; however, if your contact information changes and you do not notify the Child Care Subsidy Program, you may not receive the expiry letter.

If I need subsidy after the end of my subsidy approval period, when do I need to reapply?

You must reapply for subsidy before the expiry date of your current approval period. Please note: There is limited ability to backdate the approval of a late subsidy application.

What should I do if the information in my application changed after I submitted my application or after I received my subsidy approval letter?

It is important to notify the Child Care Subsidy Program of any changes to your contact information or other information in your application. Email cdcsubsidy@gov.mb.ca with your Submission Number and the required changes.

Contacts for Additional Questions

Who do I contact if I have a question about my subsidy application or assessment letter or need to update information submitted in my application?
Contact the Child Care Subsidy Program at:
100-114 Garry Street, Winnipeg MB R3C 4V4
Email: cdcsubsidy@gov.mb.ca
Phone: 204-945-8195 (in Winnipeg); Toll-free: 1-877-587-6224
Fax: 204-948-2143
Hours: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Who do I contact if I have a question about the operation of my licensed child care facility?
For questions about a licensed facility that are not related to the Child Care Subsidy Program, contact Child Care Information Services at:
Email: ccdcinfo@gov.mb.ca
Phone: 204-945-0776 (in Winnipeg); Toll-free: 1-888-213-4754
Hours: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.