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EnglishWhat Professional Development Opportunities Does MCCA Offer?
Updated
The Manitoba Child Care Association (MCCA) lists Professional Development as one of its main areas of work, alongside membership and advocacy. According to the association's website, members get reduced rates for professional development, and professional development is also named as one of the reasons people join. So the practical answer is: MCCA's professional development offering is tied to membership, and the main confirmed benefit is discounted access rather than a published catalogue of courses.
What the website confirms
MCCA describes its mission as advocating for a quality child care system, advancing early learning and child care education as a profession, and providing services to its members. Its stated vision is to promote and support an exceptional and inclusive early learning and child care system by helping members feel proud to belong to a progressive, respected profession.
Professional development sits inside that mission. The site lists it as a top-level navigation item and as a member benefit, which tells you two things:
- It is a standing part of what MCCA does, not a one-off event.
- Access and pricing are structured around membership.
Member benefits related to professional development
The website's member benefits highlights include several items that support ongoing learning and connection:
| Benefit | How it relates to professional development |
|---|---|
| Reduced rates for professional development | Members pay less for MCCA professional development offerings |
| Child Care Bridges Magazine (published quarterly by MCCA) | Keeps members informed about issues in the field |
| Peer to peer connections | Informal exchange with other practitioners |
| Resource library | Reference material for practitioners |
| Regional branches | Local participation across Manitoba |
| Networking opportunities | Contact with others in the profession |
| Awards | Recognition within the profession |
The regional branches listed are Central, Interlake, Parkland, South Central, Thompson, and Westman. For anyone outside Winnipeg, these branches are the most likely route to local learning and networking events, since the site organizes member activity by region.
Who this is for
This information is most useful if you are:
- An early childhood educator or child care practitioner in Manitoba looking for ongoing learning.
- A licensed child care centre or family child care home considering membership for staff.
- Someone weighing whether MCCA membership pays off, where professional development discounts are one factor among several (others include group benefits, liability insurance, and advocacy).
If you are outside Manitoba, note that MCCA describes itself as the largest provincial child care association in Canada and an affiliate member of the Canadian Child Care Federation — but its professional development programming and regional branches are Manitoba-based.
What the website does not specify
The site does not publish, in the material available here, a schedule of sessions, formats, fees, or registration steps for professional development. It also does not state whether any professional development is open to non-members or at what price. Because pricing details are not given, you should not assume these offerings are free — the confirmed detail is only that members receive reduced rates.
How to find current offerings
To get specifics, use the site's own structure:
- Go to the Professional Development section in the main navigation.
- Check Upcoming Events for scheduled sessions.
- If you are outside Winnipeg, check your regional branch page for local activity.
- Review Membership details if you want the reduced rate, since that benefit is tied to joining.
MCCA was established in 1974, is celebrating 50+ years, and reports 5,000 members and counting — scale that suggests a steady flow of programming, even though the current calendar is not reproduced here.