About 3,000 Manitoba families will be eligible for free child care starting Sept. 13
Posted September 2, 2026 4:11 pm.
Thousands of low-income families in Manitoba will soon see a change to what they pay for child care.
The province is eliminating the remaining fees for families who qualify for its Child Care Subsidy Program, affecting more than 4,000 children across the province.
Melanie Rudolph, a mother of twin girls, knows all too well how quickly child-care costs can add up.
“When I had to put them in daycare a couple months ago, just when I went for schooling, that was pretty expensive – $250 every two weeks,” Rudolph said. “That’s taking a lot of money out of food, out of activities, out of their clothing.”
Rudolph previously used Manitoba’s child-care subsidy, paying $2 a day for each of her daughters, along with additional costs including meals.
“When I got my bill, it was almost $300. So that was pretty costly, and that’s for a month or more.”
Now, the province is removing that remaining parent fee altogether for eligible families. Starting Sept. 13, about 3,000 families will pay $0 for regular child care covered through the subsidy, and it could mean a savings of up to $2,600 per child each year.
“This milestone delivers on our government’s budget 2026 commitment to make child care free for Manitoba families that are the most in need,” said Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt.
“When you’re choosing between buying groceries, paying rent, bus fare, gas, and basic necessities, those fees add up and they create barriers, stress, and sometimes very difficult choices,” added Molly McCracken with Child Care Coalition of Manitoba.
Rudolph says her daughters are currently waiting for child-care spots, leaving her to balance studying from home while caring for them at the same time: She hopes to access the program again once her daughters are back in daycare.
“That would go towards them for new clothes for school, not just daycare. For school, they need indoor shoes and outdoor shoes and when winter comes, they’re going to need a whole new winter gear and everything,” she said.
Eligibility for the subsidy is based on a family’s income, the number and age of their children, and their child-care needs, with applications available through the province.
