Manitoba entered the 1990s as a Canadian leader in childcare; it exits the decade having lost that distinction. This paper describes what happened to the regulated child care system in Manitoba under the Filmon government. Funding cuts at both the federal and provincial levels have led to a situation in Manitoba in which childcare is "severely compromised on three fronts": the availability of spaces to meet the needs of children and their families, the affordability of care and the quality of services provided.