More critical service workers are looking to find childcare with the support of Manitoba daycares.

Families Minister Heather Stefanson says childcare centres and homes opening their doors to children and their families during this challenging time are truly "heroes helping heroes."

"We continue to call on child-care facilities and early childhood educators to be part of our provincewide response to COVID-19," Stefanson says. "Together, we can ensure children can continue to learn and grow in a safe, caring environment as their parents go to work helping those most affected by COVID-19."

The full provincial operating grant, over $30 million, continued to flow to all licensed child-care facilities on April 1. The Government of Canada has also confirmed that child-care centres are eligible for the federal emergency wage subsidy, which provides up to 75 per cent of employee wages for businesses and non-profits.

"We will continue to do what we can to ensure that vital critical services workers can access child care so that they continue working on the front lines of this pandemic," Stefanson adds.

As of today, more than 1,900 children of health-care and other emergency services workers have been matched with an available space by staff within the Department of Families. These parents include health-care providers, emergency service providers, corrections workers, law enforcement workers, fire and paramedic workers, and direct social services and child protection workers. Over the next several days, staff will work to match parents remaining on the waitlist for child care before moving toward the new online system.

Starting Friday, parents working in these sectors who have been unable to make other child-care arrangements will be able to go to www.manitoba.ca/covid19 to see which facilities have spaces and work directly with them to secure child care.

The minister encouraged licensed child-care facilities that want to help by re-opening or continuing to have spaces available to notify the province by submitting an updated facility status form through Manitoba Child Care Online at gov.mb.ca/fs/childcare/