Posted 6:43pm Updated 6:43pm
breath of fresh air
To add more than 37,000 places to its network of educational childcare services by 2025-2026, Quebec needed to end the closures of family daycares – and fast. According to the Ministère de la Famille, the incentives introduced appear to be bearing fruit. In 2015-2016 there were 89,853 places in this category. Since then, they have continued to decline, reaching 66,338 in 2021-2022. However, in 2022-2023 that number eventually rose to 69,709, up 3,371 places. The government explains this recovery with the emergency measures implemented in spring 2021, such as an increase in compensation and new financial incentives.
Increase in subsidized places
Other positive data: Quebec announces that in 2022-2023 it has achieved the largest annual increase in subsidized places in its network since the creation of the Ministère de la Famille in 1997. Last year, 8,478 subsidized places in institutions (in CPE and private daycare) were added, including the conversion of 1,782 existing unsubsidized places to be subsidised.
Most of the work remains to be done
Despite these encouraging numbers, the challenge for the Legault government remains immense if it is to meet its goal of creating 37,000 new subsidized spaces between 2021-2022 and 2025-2026. According to data as of March 31, 26,931 places were in process. Quebec had set a goal of achieving a place in fall 2021 within 24 months instead of the 48 months it took before the “big project” for families started. The average time is less than 36 months. Until the network is completed, the parents are still waiting for a place to become available, regardless of whether it is subsidized or not.
A ubiquitous deficit
This still unresolved lack of space is often lamented by families who have to delay returning to work after parental leave. According to the most recent data, as of November 30, 29,801 children registered with the one-stop access to the network did not have a childcare place when they needed one. In addition to this number, 38,615 children who were born but did not require a place at the time of data collection were registered on the waiting list. In addition, 27,708 pregnant women were registered for a childcare place. Keep in mind that Quebec recently changed the way this waitlist is calculated. On average, 55,000 places become available in the day-care center network every year.