Waitlist
How do I register my child for the waitlist?
Please click the button below to register your child(ren) for our waitlist. Please note that a separate form must be submitted for each child. Upon completion of each form, return to this page to start a new application for each additional child.
Rainbow does not fill spaces on a call-in or walk-in basis. If you have not yet registered your child(ren) for any Rainbow waitlist, please use the button below to apply.
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 proceed to How do I register my child for the waitlist? below to register.
How long is Rainbow's waitlist?
Waits vary from centre to centre and program to program. There is no "average" wait time, however it's not uncommon to see children on our waitlists for up to two years for infant spaces, several years longer for preschool spaces, and five or more years for school age spaces.
Due to the demand for spaces, it's possible that your child may not be offered a spot before they age out of care. We therefore strongly recommend that you register with facilities other than Rainbow. Consider all of the child care facilities in your neighbourhood, specifically focusing on those within or transporting to your intended school catchment area.
Families requiring immediate care may wish to use the Manitoba Child Care Search tool to locate other licensed child care providers with current vacancies.
How are spaces filled?
When spaces become available at Rainbow, we consider criteria such as date of birth or intended school, and then email the families on the waitlist who meet that criteria and have been waiting the longest. These emails are sent out in small batches to assist us in filling spaces as efficiently as possible; spaces are then filled on a first come, first served basis as families reply.
In order to assist us in placing your child at the location that ultimately serves their intended school, we encourage you consider which Rainbow centres transport to which area school(s) when signing up for any of our waitlists. This information is available in the Locations tab above.
Where is my child on the waitlist?
Because Rainbow considers criteria such as age or school catchment area when filling spaces, the waitlist does not provide us with meaningful information about where any particular child is relative to others, and we cannot estimate when or whether a space will be available for your child.
It is not uncommon to see children on our infant waitlists for up to two years, on our preschool waitlists for 3-5 years, and on our school age waitlists for five or more years. However, there is no average or expected wait time, and many children age out of care entirely before a space is available for them.
Families requiring immediate care may wish to use the Manitoba Child Care Search tool to locate other licensed child care providers with current vacancies.
Can I arrange a tour of your centre(s)?
For security reasons, we do not conduct tours unless a space has already been offered. Families who have been offered spaces will have an opportunity to visit the centre for a tour before completing any enrolment paperwork.