Parents and a director are prepared to do whatever it takes to save the daycare they love, which is in danger of soon being closed unless the government agrees to convert it into a CPE.
“It is unthinkable that this daycare center would close,” sighs Annie-Claude Hogue. Her two twin daughters attend Kidz in Montreal’s Villeray district.
The private daycare center, which opened in 2008, is one of the pioneers in the region. But today it is half empty.
Out of 41 places, it only offers space for 19 children.
During this time, rent and other costs remain the same. “I bleed money,” says director Beatriz Adame.
She could go bankrupt, as her accountant advises her. But she cannot endure the disappearance of “her baby,” which she founded 15 years ago for her own children and to meet the needs of the community.
She admits that she has been going into debt on her credit card for several months to pay her teachers. She owes banks and lending companies about $100,000.
So the parents launched a crowdfunding campaign to help the organization keep going while they wait to see if their last hope comes true: that the government will finally agree to convert the facility into a CPE, or subsidized daycare center.
The Journal spoke with seven parents who are keeping their fingers crossed they won’t have to send their children elsewhere.
Crazy bureaucracy
Kidz was born at a time when there were few daycare centers in the area, Adame explains. However, several CPEs have since opened in the industry. Due to the reduced rate, it is quite normal for parents to pay $8.85 rather than around fifty dollars per day.
Ms. Adame has therefore tried several times in the past to convert Kidz into a subsidized daycare center, but without success.
In 2011, she responded to a call for projects with the support of local politicians. Her application was rejected because she had attached seven copies of the file instead of the eight copies requested.
In 2013 she had to accept another rejection because at that time there were no children with special needs on her staff, although she would have been willing to accept them.
Damaged image
There was also an incident that damaged the daycare center’s image. In 2020, educator Nassira El Hmaini was filmed slapping children there.
Ms Adame immediately contacted the police. “It was a shock for everyone,” she says.
She could have simply fired them without telling their parents or making the matter public. “But it was too important. It is our responsibility,” she adds.
Director Beatriz Adame could hardly hold back her tears when she thought about having to close the daycare center she founded 15 years ago. Photo Pierre Paul Poulin
Punished for doing the right thing
The incident, which damaged the reputation of the Kidz daycare center, is not representative of the quality of services offered there, claim parents who praise the director’s integrity.
Last January, educator El Hmaini was sentenced to six months of house arrest for assault.
For the parents interviewed, this would not have been possible without Beatriz Adame’s transparency. His daycare center is being punished in a way by the media coverage of the affair, as the parents are now turning their noses up at the facility, they explain.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one mother said her child belonged to the group of the convicted educator. After much questioning, she decided to stay. She never regretted her choice.
“Fabulous daycare center”
“It’s a fantastic daycare center,” emphasizes Charles Roy, father of an 18-month-old child.
At Kidz, all educators are qualified. In contrast to other daycare centers where there is a high turnover, they have been working there for several years.
Her co-workers also decided to support her until the end rather than abandon ship.
Several parents mentioned that their children had made enormous progress since joining or that they no longer wanted to leave in the evenings. Others called the daycare a “second family.”
The parents were at each other’s throats
But beyond that, there is a risk of competition for private daycare centers.
“When I opened in 2008, the local parents said: Finally a daycare center!” remembers Ms. Adame.
Many facilities in Montreal are now empty, explains Marie-Claude Collin of the Coalition of Unsubsidized Private Daycares of Quebec.
Due to the pandemic, families have left the city and migrated to the suburbs or regions.
Added to this is inflation. “Parents are no longer able to pay,” notes Ms. Collin.
In addition, the government has announced the construction of many new subsidized rooms in recent years instead of converting existing private daycare centers that were just waiting, criticizes Ms. Collin.
At the time of publication, the Family Ministry had not commented on the Kidz daycare file.
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