I don't know how the province decided the amount to pay in operating grants per spot, but I know it worked out for me when I did the math, and put my income back in line with the going rate around here. I do know that the operating grant was recently increased, and I believe it's supposed to increase again, but I never believe these things until it happens. I would assume that if the going rate around here was $60, then my provincially regulated fees would also be higher, or the grants increased accordingly.
That actually makes me appreciate the manitoba system more, because we have so much flexibility. If I wanted to be licensed, and have 5 preschool/infant spots, rather than 4, but I didn't want to charge the set rates, I can still do that. I could have set my own fees and not receive funding from the province.