Manitoba daycare operators have until June 1 to submit a plan to the provincial government outlining how they will make sure their facilities comply with a new regulation.
The Child Care Safety Charter calls on all licensed daycares to have a way to keep unauthorized people locked out of the facilities by April of 2011.
Don Giesbrecht, executive director of the Assiniboine Children's Centre, said running a daycare is a big responsibility.
"You've got the safety and well-being, care and education of all these young children under your control," he said.
Giesbrecht said the new regulation means he will have to install a $20,000 security system on the doors of his daycare centre.
However, the security system alone may not be enough to comply with the regulation because the Assiniboine Children's Centre shares space with an elementary school which can't be secured as the charter requires.
Family Services Minister Gord Mackintosh said that exceptions can be made for some facilities.
"We have some exceptions, recognizing that it just might not be possible in all circumstances to have locked doors, but we want to try and move there as best as possible," he said.
If exceptions are made, other solutions will have to be found to keep unauthorized people out, such as assigning a staff person to watch the daycare doors, officials said.
via winnipeg.ctv.ca