In order to save money, the Family Ministry set a fixed maximum amount in the first tender. As a result, no companies made a bid, delaying the construction of more than 3,000 child care places in the province. A decision strongly denounced by families still waiting for a place in the CPE.
“I really find it inconceivable that we are moving places when this has been a problem for years. »
— A quote from Alexandra Quesnel, mother
Ms. Quesnel, who has been looking for a daycare place for a year, has to work part-time from home to take care of her little girl.
I work a little when I can, weekdays, evenings, weekends. Part-time work results in a loss of income that affects the whole family. On a mental level, it is not easy for the couple, for the family, for working relationships, she emphasizes.
Alexandra Quesnel and her daughter.
Photo: Courtesy
Alexandra Quesnel is one of fifteen women who contacted us following an appeal on the social network Facebook to meet parents affected by the lack of places in CPE. Messages from nurses, teachers, early childhood educators, special education teachers, a speech therapist or a director of a private company, all of whom are currently at home because they have no place in the CPE.
Inevitably, once there’s a child who doesn’t have a place, there’s a parent who can’t return to work as desired. At this level, too, the economic impact is being felt, explains Molly Nantel, a secondary school social sciences teacher. She remains on unpaid leave with her daughter as she was due to return to work in September 2022.
The two women, who recently learned they would be given a place in family care in September, believe the impact will go far beyond the families directly affected by the situation. The fact that they are not in the labor market also has an impact on their working environment and also on the children, who in certain cases may not benefit from their presence.
“I think it’s really a setback for women’s career advancement,” says Julie Brassard, a director of a private company. She is also on unpaid leave with her one-year-old son because there aren’t enough childcare places.
Julie Brassard and her son.
Photo: Courtesy
Is this time right?
The announcement of the construction of 44 early childhood centers in the province had given hope to these women. The construction of five new CPEs in Abitibi-Témiscamingue should start this summer, two in Val-d’Or, two in Rouyn-Noranda and another in Amos. Each CPE should add about 80 slots, for a total of 400.
In the new tender, which is due to end on July 20, the start of construction has now been postponed to summer 2024. The maximum price was removed from the tender.
The Quebec Association of Early Childhood Centers (AQCPE), which oversees the provincial project, believes this will be the right time.
“This is an innovative project that has never been done before, so we expected there would be some difficulties. Now that we’ve completed a second round, we’re very confident that we can go through. We will have bidders, that’s for sure. »
— A quote from Geneviève Blanchard, Strategic Advisor at AQCPE
She believes that once the work begins, everything will move quickly. “The confidence we place in a pre-engineered project is that we can parallel site preparation and factory construction at the same time,” argues Ms. Blanchard.
France-Claude Goyette, director general of the CPE Lamagique du rêve in Val-d’Or, agrees that by abolishing the maximum price and reducing the number of plants to be built at the same time, bidders will be encouraged to submit. which is responsible for the 160 newly created places.
The magic of dreams CPE, in Val-d’Or. (archive photo)
Photo: Radio Canada / Marc-André Landry
If all goes well, the five CPEs could open in late 2024. A sixth is also planned for 2025 in Rouyn-Noranda.
We know the submissions will be surpassed. There will be an amount of $500,000 or even a million, exceeding the pre-established budget. I hope that we don’t negotiate with the Ministry for months, that what is presented comes about and that we are not forced to negotiate with the Ministry week after week in order to get the price, which is then released, adds France-Claude Goyette.
A first tender doomed to fail?
We were able to speak to the three architects who were originally commissioned to create the plans and specifications for the prefabricated CPEs.
They point out that the tender launched at the beginning of the year with a maximum price was not the original plan, but the Ministry of Family Affairs assumed that it would save money.
Architects were left out. Instead of the traditional construction method, the idea of a fixed maximum price was proposed, points out architect Guillaume Pelletier, who believes that all these delays could have been avoided if we had trusted the various specialists.
“We had made several recommendations not to carry out this tender, which has never been tested. Apparently nobody wanted to bid. So it went back to a standard tender. »
— A quote from Guillaume Pelletier, architect
Jorge Torres, Emily Lafrance and Guillaume Pelletier are the three architects who worked on the pre-engineered CPE project.
Photo: Courtesy
A budget to respect
Family Secretary Suzanne Roy did not respond to our interview requests. The Ministry of Family Affairs sends an e-mail indicating that the budget must be adhered to.
In the first tender, the maximum price should be consistent with the funding provided under the Infrastructure Funding Scheme, which is public and available information. Despite the inflationary context in the construction sector, the ministry is striving to comply with the financing framework, the family ministry said by email.
A decision strongly denounced by women waiting for a place in the CPE with whom we have been able to speak.
We thought there would soon be light at the end of the tunnel. “It is disappointing to see that the government does not see it as important that people can get back to work, especially in the current circumstances where it is difficult to hire new staff,” notes Julie Brassard.
Whether it’s labor availability or mental health, it will impact many other areas that will also cost money, adds Alexandra Quesnel.
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The consortium of architects’ plans for the design of the prefabricated CPEs. Photo: Guillaume Pelletier, Architect
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“A serious mistake with serious consequences”
With regard to the current second tender, the Ministry of Family Affairs emphasizes that the costs will be decisive.
The realization of these projects must remain in line with the financing conditions. The ministry, which provides the funding for the projects, will analyze the results of the submissions according to the grant envelopes to confirm the contract to the AQCPE, the ministry’s email said.
This is a serious mistake with serious consequences for the government, as prices are likely to rise again, especially for the population and families who urgently need a place in daycare, says Parti Québécois family spokesman Joël Arseneau.
The government must not skimp on the financial and administrative resources to shorten the deadlines and speed up the pace, he adds.
Joël Arseneau, the spokesman for the Parti Québécois family. (archive photo)
Photo: Radio Canada / Daniel Coulombe
“Unrealistic” estimates
Architect Guillaume Pelletier believes that the Ministère de la Famille has miscalculated the true cost of its CPE projects for several years, often resulting in construction delays.
The budgets allocated for the overall development and construction of CPEs in Quebec are still insufficient. “We do other CPE projects and all architects face the same problems: the lack of budget, the budgets that are exceeded and unrealistic given the current market conditions,” he points out.
There is a big difference between government calculations and market prices. That is why we make announcements and underestimate the costs required to provide these places, which often or almost systematically leads to negotiations with the contractor for cost reductions, adds Joël Arseneau.