Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of care does Rainbow offer?
Rainbow Day Nursery provides full-time, year-round care only. Families requiring part-time care or care during certain times of the year will be required to pay full-time fees in order to keep their spaces.
Rainbow follows a play-based emergent curriculum approach, creating meaningful learning experiences by developing curriculum based on the children's interests, an approach supported by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. Learning experiences are designed for children aged twelve weeks to twelve years in three different age groups:
Infant
Rainbow provides care for infants between the ages of twelve weeks and two years. We strive to provide continuous care beyond age two, when children transition to the Preschool program. In order to provide continuous care at age two, children may be transferred to a different Rainbow location depending on the availability of preschool spaces.
Preschool
Children between the ages of two and five years are considered part of the Preschool program, but may be further separated into Early Years, Preschool and Kindergarten programs, depending on their age and which Rainbow location they are attending. Fees remain the same for children in these programs, regardless of which specific Preschool program they are attending.
Please note that Rainbow is unable to guarantee care beyond kindergarten. All families are encouraged to remain on waitlists at other centres for school age care in the event that Rainbow is unable to provide care beyond kindergarten.
School Age
Rainbow provides before and after school care to children enrolled in Grades 1 through 6, as well as full-day care on in-service days and during spring, summer and winter breaks.
School age spaces are limited, and families are encouraged to remain on waitlists at other centres in the event that Rainbow is unable to provide care beyond kindergarten.
I was on the old Online Child Care Registry. Should I register again?
Yes. Due to privacy concerns, the Province has provided child care facilities with only basic information when it retired the Online Child Care Registry (OCCR) in August 2021. As a result, we require families to complete a new registration for each child to ensure we have current, complete information. Your original registration date will be grandfathered to ensure that you retain your original seniority from the OCCR.
Please click the Waitlist link in the above menu to re-register.
How do I get information about Rainbow's waitlist?
Please click the Waitlist link in the above menu for more information about registering for Rainbow's waitlist, the availability of spaces, and how to determine where your child is on the waitlist.
What are Rainbow's hours of operation?
Rainbow's normal hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm.
We are closed on all statutory holidays, and close at 1:30 pm on both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
Centres are also closed two to four times each year for staff professional development. These closures may be full- or half-day closures depending on the type of professional development that is scheduled. Parents are notified well ahead of these closures to ensure that they have time to make alternate care arrangements for these days.
What are Rainbow's fees?
Rainbow Day Nursery Inc. is a funded facility, with fees mandated by the Manitoba Child Care Regulation. The following rates are in effect from April 2, 2023:
Infants (12 weeks to 24 months) - $10.00 per day
Preschool (including kindergarten) - $10.00 per day
School Age (grades 1 through 6) - $8.60 on school days and $10.00 on in-service/holidays
Fees are due at the beginning of each four-week billing period. Rainbow accepts cash, cheque, online bill payment, and pre-authorized debit as forms of payment.
The current Maximum Daily Fee Schedule and additional information is available on the Manitoba Education and Early Childhood website.*
*If any discrepancy exists between the information provided above and the Manitoba Child Care Regulation, then the Regulation prevails.
Does Rainbow accept subsidy?
Yes! Families requiring subsidy should apply to the Child Care Subsidy Program, which provides financial support by reducing child care fees for eligible families. Eligibility depends on a number of factors, including income, the number and age of children in the home, and the reason for care. Rainbow does not have any control over which families receive subsidy.
More information regarding subsidy and the application process can be found in the Subsidy section of the Manitoba Education and Early Childhood website.
Can Rainbow transport my child to school?
Rainbow transports children in the centre’s vehicles to local schools, subject to a transportation fee applied to the family's regular invoice. Children attending schools within walking distance of our centres are escorted to school by Rainbow staff.
We ask families to consider their catchment area and intended school when selecting a Rainbow location, as we are unable to guarantee transfer to a location that provides transportation to your child(ren)'s school. Please see the Locations tab in the top menu to see which centres transport to which schools.
Does Rainbow provide meals or snacks?
Parents and guardians must provide their child with two snacks and lunch each day in a labelled lunch kit, with snacks and lunch clearly identified. All food must be nut-free due to life-threatening allergic reactions within the centres. During summer, we ask that families pack lunches that do not require heating, as we are unable to heat lunches on field trips, picnics, etc.
Once each week throughout the school year, Rainbow offers a hot lunch program for families who wish to purchase it. This program acts as a fundraiser for Rainbow programming. Additional information regarding the hot lunch program is provided to parents upon registration and periodically throughout the year.
Do I have to participate in fundraising?
No, although we certainly encourage it!
Rainbow is proud to provide an enhanced program at no additional cost to families. Our enhanced program includes excursions and outside activities, as well as entertainment and special learning experiences at the centre throughout the summer and periodically throughout the year. This enhanced program is possible thanks to the efforts of our Fundraising Committee.
The dedicated members of this committee work hard to plan and organize a variety of events throughout the year to ensure we can afford to bring these special experiences to Rainbow children without passing these costs along to families. The committee's efforts cover admission costs, transportation, and entertainer or instructor fees.
We could not provide these opportunities without the Committee's ongoing fundraising efforts. We therefore encourage all families to participate in fundraising activities whenever possible to help us maintain this incredible program.