Careers in Early Learning and Child Care
Are you interested in a career in Early Learning and Child Care?
A career in Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) can be extremely rewarding. It offers the opportunity to work with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children (from 12 weeks to 12 years old) during some of the most important developmental periods in these children’s lives.
Licensed early learning and child care centres, nursery schools, and family/group child care homes, throughout Manitoba, promote the healthy development and well-being of children. Early learning and child care professionals provide nurturing and engaging environments, supporting children's development through a child-centred, playbased approach.
Qualities of an Early Childhood Educator (ECE)
Benefits of a Career as an Early Childhood Educator
Credentials Required for Employment
Qualities of an ECE - Commitment to Child Well-Being
An Early Childhood Educator (ECE) requires patience, energy, commitment and knowledge of child development, and children's needs and interests. An ECE must be nurturing, warm and responsive, as well as enthusiastic about engaging children's learning.
ECEs in Manitoba have specific post-secondary training to understand, guide and support early childhood development, which is essential for the work they do in ensuring the health, safety and well-being of children. ECEs are also trained to create age appropriate, stimulating environments for children to explore, play and learn.
Early brain development research shows the first six years of life shapes children in critical ways. ECEs, in partnership with parents, can have a positive impact on how a child will learn and develop.
For a summary of early learning and child care services in Manitoba, please refer to the Early Learning and Child Care Services in Manitoba booklet.
Benefits of a Career as an Early Childhood Educator
There are many benefits to a career in early childhood education, including:
- ECE Tuition Reimbursements
Up to $5,000/school year is available to help make early childhood education more accessible, helping to cover costs of tuition at recognized post-secondary training institutions in Manitoba - Growing career opportunities
With flexible training options, once you have completed your post-secondary education, there will be many job opportunities at a variety of centres facilities and with various age groups. You may be interested in working toward becoming a director of a licensed child care centre or expanding your licensed child care home with access to competitive wages and long-term financial supports and benefits. You may also be able to work as a child development counsellor, an early childhood education college instructor, or you may find employment working with children in other sectors. - Helping children, families and communities
Working as an ECE in licensed early learning and child care helps shape a child’s future. Families and children benefit from high-quality licensed early learning and child care ELCC programs. Parents gain more flexibility to pursue their education or career goals. Children benefit from a caring and stimulating environment that promotes their development.
CCA Opportunities
- Work as a child care assistant in an infant, preschool, school age centre or nursery school
- Become a home-based child care provider
- Upgrade your training to become an ECE
- Become a substitute or casual staff at a centre or nursery school
- Work as centre support staff , such as housekeeper, cook
ECE II Career Opportunities
- Work as an ECE in an infant, preschool, school age centre or nursery school
- Become a home-based child care provider
- Work as a program supervisor
- Become an assistant director or director of a school age centre
- Become an assistant director or director of a nursery school
- Work as a child development worker
ECE III Career Opportunities
- Work as an ECE in an infant, preschool, school age centre or nursery school
- Become a home-based child care provider
- Work as a program supervisor
- Become an assistant director or director of an infant, preschool or school age centre
- Become an assistant director or director of a nursery school
- Work as a child development counsellor (some positions may only require ECE II classification)
- Work as a family resource centre coordinator
- Become an ECE instructor at a community college or university
- Work as an ECE researcher at a university
- Become a child care co-ordinator, inclusion support coordinator, policy analyst, program/supervisor in government
- Become a parenting program facilitator/parent support worker
Credentials Required for Employment
To work as a child care employee in a licensed child care facility in Manitoba, you must:
- Be one of the following
- Canadian citizen
- Landed immigrant (permanent resident)
- Temporary foreign worker
- Be classified by Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care at one of three levels:
- Child Care Assistant (CCA)
CCAs do not have formal early learning and child care education or have not yet completed it. - Early Childhood Educator II (ECE II)
Generally, an ECE II has an approved diploma in early childhood education. - Early Childhood Educator III (ECE III)
An ECE III has an approved diploma plus an approved continuing education certificate or degree.
- Child Care Assistant (CCA)
Your education determines your classification level. All child care providers must undergo a criminal record check with vulnerable sector search, child abuse registry check and have first aid and CPR training. Child care regulations in Manitoba specify the number of trained ECEs required to work in licensed ELCC centres and nursery schools. Trained professional ECEs help to ensure the provision of safe, high-quality licensed ELCC services. For classification details see- Information on Classification of Early Childhood Educators and Child Care Assistants.
How to Get Started
If you are interested in starting your career as an early childhood educator in Manitoba, but have limited or no formal education, you can begin your career in a few ways:
- Start in High School
Enrol in the Technical Vocational Child Care Program in grades 9-12 currently offered at various Manitoba high schools or take the Applied Family Studies (40S) in grade 12 and apply for your Child Care Assistant Classification. These approved high school programs/courses satisfy the forty-hour course requirement as a condition of employment as a Child Care Assistant helping you to fast track gaining experience towards your career as an Early Childhood Educator. - Apply for Child Care Assistant (CCA) Classification
By applying for Child Care Assistant classification, you can obtain employment in a licensed child care centre. This will enable you to gain experience in a child care facility while you work on completing a forty-hour post-secondary training course requirement as a condition of your employment as a classified CCA. You can then consider pathways to achieve ECE II classification such as completion of a post-secondary ECE training program at a recognized institution or completion of the ECE II Assessment Program. - Complete Early Childhood Educator program training at a recognized Manitoba post-secondary institution
With successful completion of recognized training at a Manitoba post-secondary institution, you will be able to apply for Early Childhood Educator II or III classification. - Become a licensed home-based provider
By obtaining your license to operate a child care facility your home, you can develop your skills and expand your early childhood development knowledge. This will enable you to gain experience in a child care facility while you work on completing a forty-hour post-secondary training course requirement as a condition of your employment as a classified CCA. You can then consider pathways to achieve ECE II classification such as completion of a post-secondary ECE training program at a recognized institution or completion of the ECE II Assessment Program.
If you already have some related experience from another province or from outside of Canada, your previous credentials may be considered towards equivalent classification in Manitoba. To begin this process, a Classification for Child Care Worker Application and supporting documents are required. For further details, see sections Equivalency Assessment or Internationally Educated Applicants.
Find Employment
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning / Early Learning and Child Care Division does not operate early learning and child care facilities such as centres or homes; each licensed facility is an independent organization, which hires its own employees. There are several ways you can find early learning and child care opportunities as an Early Childhood Educator and Child Care Assistant:
Manitoba Child Care Search
Find licensed and open early learning and child care facilities who are currently seeking employment at Manitoba Child Care Search.
Use the filter tools to narrow your search by facility type, classification etc. Contact the facility directly to enquire about employment opportunities.
New Child Care Centres
View listing and contact information for newly constructed child care centres in Manitoba that are seeking qualified early learning and child care applicants. Contact the facility directly to enquire about employment opportunities.
* Includes newly constructed child care centres that are working towards becoming licensed and open and therefore may not be listed in Manitoba Child Care Search as above.
New Manitoba Child Care Centres Looking to Hire
Other Employment Search Resources
The Manitoba Child Care Association offers job postings on its website in each category of classification.
You can also check local newspapers or do an online search for job opportunities in your community area.
