Childcare services in Québec

Ministère de la Famille

In Québec, there are different types of early childhood education and care service and applicable standards vary depending on the type of service chosen by the parents.

Recognized educational childcare services

Certain childcare services are recognized under the Educational Childcare Act (hereinafter called the Act).

They must:

hold a permit issued by the Ministère or be recognized by the home educational childcare coordinating office
comply with the Act and its regulations
apply an early childhood educational program fostering the overall development of young children

Permit holders are inspected by Ministère staff members. In the case of home educational childcare providers, they receive monitoring visits by home educational childcare coordinating office staff members.

Non recognized childcare services

There is a type of childcare contemplated (and therefore regulated) by the Act, but it is not recognized. It is childcare provided by a natural person, who must respect eight conditions including the conditions to provide services in a private residence and to care for a maximum of six children. To the extent that the person respects the eight conditions, the person:

is not required to hold a permit issued by the Ministère or to be recognized by a home educational childcare coordinating office
is not required to apply an educational program
is not subject to inspections by the Ministère, except in the case of a complaint concerning compliance with the requirements with which the person must comply, and is not subject to monitoring visits by a home educational childcare coordinating office.

The following table presents the characteristics of educational childcare and day care service facilities. You will also find a table presenting the characteristics of home educational childcare service providers.

Childcare centre (permit holder)	Reduced-contribution spaces	Service recognized under the Act	Cost - Calculation tools	Main characteristics	Number of children per facility	Parent participation
Childcare centre (a non-profit organization or a cooperative)	Yes	Yes	Daily contribution per day, determined by regulation, payable to the childcare centre	Premises set up specifically for the childcare service Children usually divided into groups based on age Presence of a number of educators	100 children maximum Educator to number of children ratios depending on the children’s age must be respected	Board of directors composed of a majority of parents (Childcare centres)
Subsidized day care centre (a natural or legal person, usually non-profit)	Yes	Yes				Parent advisory committee (Subsidized and non-subsidized day care centres)
Non-subsidized day care centre (a natural or legal person, usually non-profit)	No	Yes	Contribution determined by the childcare centre Costs eligible for the tax credit for childcare expenses (See Tax credit for childcare expenses) Possibility of obtaining advance payments of the tax credit on a monthly basis (See Tax credit for childcare expenses)

Home childcare providers	Reduced-contribution spaces	Service recognized under the Act	Cost - Calculation tools	Main characteristics	Number of children	Parent participation
Home educational childcare provider (subsidized) Recognized by a home childcare coordinating office	Yes	Yes	Daily contribution per day, determined by regulation, payable to the childcare centre	Self-employed worker Private residence Children in multiage groups Presence of the person in charge and, sometimes, an assistant	A person in charge non-assisted by another adult: 6 children maximum, of which 2 may be infants (below 18 months of age) Person in charge assisted by another adult: 9 children maximum, of which 4 may be infants	Board of directors of the coordinating office, on which parents can sit
Home educational childcare provider (non-subsidized) Recognized by a home childcare coordinating office	No	Yes	Contribution determined by the childcare centre Costs eligible for the tax credit for childcare expenses (See Tax credit for childcare expenses) Possibility of obtaining advance payments of the tax credit on a monthly basis (See Tax credit for childcare expenses)
Provider of childcare in a private residence that meets certain requirements Not recognized by a home childcare coordinating office	No	No		Self-employed worker Children in multiage groups	6 children maximum of which 2 may be infants (under 18 months of age)	No participation required

Unregulated childcare services (not contemplated by the Act)

Certain organizations or persons that offer childcare activities are completely excluded from the Act and are not subject to any standard established by the Act. Those organizations include, amongst others:

day camps
public or community organizations that provide temporary childcare services as a complement or addition to their main activities, in the context of their overall mandate or during a specific activity with parents or children
natural persons, acting for their own account, who provide services in a private residence who care
- a) for a maximum of two children
- b) only for children usually living togheter

Illegal childcare services

Unless a person has an unregulated organization or provides unrecognized regulated childcare services, it is illegal to provide childcare services in exchange a contribution from a parent, without having obtained recognition from a home educational childcare coordinating office or a permit issued by the Ministère.

Parents who have doubts regarding the legality of a childcare service are invited to contact the information service of the Centre des relations avec la clientèle of the Ministère.

Online
www.mfa.gouv.qc.ca

By telephone
Throughout Québec: 1-855-336-8568

Educational program

Recognized early childhood education and care services have an obligation to apply an educational program. This program must promote the development of young children on all levels (physical, motor, emotional, social, moral, language, and cognitive). Among other things, it must also promote educational success and help children learn healthy lifestyle habits and adapt to communal life.

The Ministère publishes the Accueillir la petite enfance program to serve as an inspiration to childcare service providers in designing their educational programs.

In order to take into account the particularity of early child development, educators and persons in charge of recognized home childcare services are invited to respect each child’s learning speed, show appreciation for their playing style, help them as they explore their interests, and work in partnership with their parents.

In so doing, childcare services prepare children for a good start in their schooling by enhancing their pleasure and capacity to learn.

Finding a childcare service

Parents looking for a place in a recognized childcare centre (childcare centre, daycare or home childcare) must register with La Place 0-5, the single-window access to recognized childcare services in Québec.

Online
www.laplace0-5.com
www.mfa.gouv.qc.ca

By telephone
Montréal area: 514-270-5055
Elsewhere in Québec: 1-844-270-5055