Excerpt
Quebec could leave some families, operators and employers in the lurch in its mission to overhaul daycare admissions criteria, according to those on the front lines of early childhood care in the province.
The Association québécoise des centres de la petite enfance, which represents non-profit and publicly funded childcare centres, is among those worried Bill 95 goes too far. The association will present a brief at the National Assembly Tuesday as part of hearings into the proposed law.
“A one-size-fits-all solution, like the one that’s being tabled by Bill 95, is not the way to go,” Marie-Claude Lemieux, director general of public affairs and government relations at AQCPE, said in an interview with The Gazette last week.
“I would say it’s a misunderstanding of the needs on the ground and how CPEs are best suited to respond to them.”
Bill 95, which was tabled by Family Minister Suzanne Roy in late March, would make it illegal to deny subsidized daycare access to any child on the basis of language, culture or religion. It comes after an investigation by La Presse revealed dozens of CPEs selected children based on their religion or ethnic background.
Under the bill, they would be subject to a uniform admissions policy in order to “eliminate the barriers that limit access to a subsidized space in educational childcare services,” Roy said in a statement at the time.
The ministry said the new structure would guarantee “at least half of the places available in CPEs and subsidized daycares are accessible to all children, regardless of their situation.” Meanwhile, a maximum of 50 per cent of spots could be reserved to meet the six admission priorities outlined by the government. This includes children with special needs, families in precarious socioeconomic situations, and daycares in a special agreement with employers.
One operator in downtown Montreal, which already faces high demand, wants an exemption if the bill passes into law.
Sabine Tutellier-de Peyrelongue is the director general of CPE du Centre-Ville, which oversees two distinct installations for more than 100 children. She said Place Ville Marie opened a daycare in 1984 for workers to have an option for child care on site and allow a better work-life balance for employees — and particularly women in the workforce.
At the moment, the 69 spots at the CPE’s Place Ville Marie location are reserved for children of parents working at the office complex. It is full.
“The need is there,” Tutellier-de Peyrelongue said, adding there are 500 names on her wait list.
Tutellier-de Peyrelongue is concerned if Bill 95 goes ahead, the CPE will no longer meet the needs of its partners and the very families it was created to serve. She said Place Ville Marie is deeply invested: it contributes financially every month, it helped with a massive renovation in 2021 and it provides cleaning and security services as part of the CPE’s rent.
If the centre is forced to only offer half its spots to those employees, Tutellier-de Peyrelongue worries its mission could fall apart.
“If it’s cut in half and I lose my benefits, I will never make it. Financially, I won’t make it,” she said.
While she supports the government’s goal of ensuring a mix of kids from different backgrounds, she noted her Place Ville Marie parents range from security guards to lawyers.
“It creates even a very, very good social diversity at the heart of the CPE,” Tutellier-de Peyrelongue said.
By implementing a provincewide policy, both Tutellier-de Peyrelongue and AQCPE say the government fails to recognize the different realities of each CPE.
It could affect schools, too. Lemieux pointed to how Université du Québec à Chicoutimi has invested $600,000 in a CPE currently under construction and 80 per cent of spaces were meant to be reserved for staff and students at the institution.
“And to try to go over deals that have been set for some for a long period of time, we believe that is unfair. We believe it does not help anyone,” Lemieux said.
“Instead, we humbly suggest that the government puts all its efforts towards finishing the construction of the CPEs that should be, I mean, already built.”
In a statement to The Gazette, the office for Quebec’s family minister said it is aware of AQCPE’s brief and that “all briefs will be analyzed and will contribute to our thinking.”
“We are currently consulting; the process is ongoing. Remember our goal is to provide more equitable access to subsidized spaces for Quebec families,” the office said.