Manitoba classifies child care workers at three levels — Child Care Assistant, ECE II, and ECE III — under the Community Child Care Standards Act, with ECE II needing 1,800 to 2,000 study hours including 520 practicum hours.
Applies in: Manitoba
In Manitoba, you become an early childhood educator by getting classified. The Community Child Care Standards Act and Manitoba Regulation 62/86 set three classification levels, based on completed post-secondary education: Child Care Assistant (CCA), Early Childhood Educator (ECE) II, and Early Childhood Educator (ECE) III. Anyone seeking paid employment or a volunteer position in a licensed early learning and child care centre or group child care home must hold a Manitoba classification level before beginning work. Classification is free, and you receive your certificate by email.
The Government of Manitoba's classification information page sets out the levels:
If your education does not reach 1,800 to 2,000 hours of study with 520 hours of practicum, or is not specific to early childhood education, you will be issued a CCA classification. The page names a one-year ECE certificate, a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Social Work, a Diploma in Child and Youth Care, and a Montessori diploma as examples that do not meet the ECE II standard.
Classification levels are only available to residents of Canada, and applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada. Manitoba's child care classification is separate from teaching certification in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 system.
The Child Care Worker Classification Application has several options — pick the right one so your application is assessed correctly:
Attach the documents for your route. ECE II or III applicants need a copy of official transcripts showing graduation, plus one piece of government-issued photo ID with a valid Manitoba address, or two pieces of ID confirming name and address. Submit by email to cdccertificate@gov.mb.ca, by mail to Early Learning and Child Care Division, Attention: Qualifications Services, 210-114 Garry Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 4V4, or in person at the first-floor reception, 114 Garry Street, Winnipeg, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is no charge for this service. Incomplete applications are not processed and are returned.
On employment in a Manitoba child care facility, all child care workers must confirm their status in Canada and complete a criminal record check and a child abuse registry check.
Classification alone does not get you into a job. To obtain employment at any level — Child Care Assistant, ECE II, or ECE III — you must hold a valid certificate in Standard Level First Aid and Level C Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and complete a Criminal Record Check and a Child Abuse Registry Check upon employment. Get the first aid and CPR certificate before you apply for jobs: a centre cannot put you to work with children until the checks are done, and a new job means new checks.
If you have lived, been employed in, and hold certification as an early childhood educator in Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, or Yukon, you may apply under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. This option only applies to new applicants who have not previously been classified in Manitoba. You need a copy of your certificate or official recognition and two pieces of government ID.
If your education is from Quebec, New Brunswick, Nunavut, or the Northwest Territories, or from outside Canada, you apply through Educational Review instead, and you may need a credential assessment report from International Qualification Assessment Services (IQAS) or World Education Service (WES).
If you disagree with your classification, first contact Child Care Information Services at 204-945-0776 or toll-free 1-888-213-4754. To appeal, you must submit written notification to the Social Services Appeal Board within 30 days of receiving your classification.
The opened Manitoba page does not publish a processing time for classification applications, so this guide states none. It lists the CCQTC-recognized programs for ECE II and ECE III but does not give their admission requirements or tuition, so check with the college or university directly. The page also does not publish wage figures for the classification levels, so no pay figures appear here.
Yes, if you want paid employment or a volunteer position in a licensed early learning and child care centre or group child care home in Manitoba, you must hold a Manitoba classification level before beginning work. Classification is recommended but not required for licensed family home-based child care providers.
Child Care Assistant (CCA) is the entry-level classification. It is required to legally work as a child care employee or a volunteer in a licensed child care centre or group child care home. You do not need post-secondary education specific to early childhood education, but within your first year of employment you must complete a 40-hour post-secondary training course related to early childhood education — or have already completed 40 hours of approved training within the previous 8 years.
A degree or diploma specific to early childhood education with a minimum of 1,800 to 2,000 study hours including 520 hours of practicum, through a recognized early childhood education program at a Manitoba post-secondary institution. ECE II can also be obtained through the ECE II Assessment Program. A one-year ECE certificate, a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Social Work, a Child and Youth Care diploma, or a Montessori diploma does not meet the ECE II standard — holders receive a CCA classification instead.
A current ECE II classification plus an additional credential above the diploma level, from a program recognized by the Child Care Qualifications and Training Committee (CCQTC), such as an advanced diploma in leadership in early childhood care and education or a post-diploma certificate in administration.
Complete the Child Care Worker Classification Application: the online form for Child Care Assistant or for the Canadian Free Trade Agreement route, or the fillable PDF form for ECE II or III, Educational Review, Upgrade, or Re-issue. Attach official transcripts and photo ID, then submit by email to cdccertificate@gov.mb.ca, by mail, or in person at 114 Garry Street in Winnipeg. There is no charge for this service.
If you have lived, been employed in, and hold certification as an early childhood educator in Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, or Yukon, you may apply for classification in Manitoba under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. This option only applies to new applicants who have not previously been classified in Manitoba.