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The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled Quebec cannot bar asylum seekers from subsidized daycare.
In an 8-1 ruling handed down Friday, the Supreme Court rejected the province's appeal of a lower court's ruling.
Supreme Court Justice Andromache Karakatsanis concluded the province's regulations on subsidized daycare, which date back to the previous Couillard government, discriminate against women refugee claimants and infringes on their Charter rights.
"While all refugee claimants are denied access to subsidized daycare ... the discriminatory impact on women is unique because they carry a greater share of child-care responsibilities," the ruling states.
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Quebec had cited severe capacity limitations
Quebec's sought-after subsidized daycare system has aimed to keep child care affordable in the province for years. In 2026, the daily cost of a subsidized daycare is $9.65.
The case before the courts originated with Bijou Cibuabua Kanyinda, a woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo who applied for asylum and obtained a work permit. Her three children were denied access to the heavily subsidized daycare network because Quebec's rules provided access to the system only once refugee status was granted by the federal government.
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