Women helping women: MNA Suzanne Tremblay gets involved as Plateau parents demand fair childcare fees

Tashi Farmilo

Parents and educators from Garderie Ami Câlin will hold a peaceful demonstration March 6 in the Plateau sector, calling for the conversion of non-subsidized daycare spaces into Quebec’s subsidized network.

The protest is scheduled from 8:00 - 8:30 am in front of the daycare at 215, boulevard d’Amsterdam. Organizers say the action is intended to draw attention to the cost gap between the province’s subsidized childcare system, where the daily rate is set at $9.65, and non-subsidized centres, where fees range from $54 to $64 per day before tax credits. This represents a difference of roughly $44 to $54 more per child, per day.

“The objective of the March 6 demonstration is to allow the government to hear the voices of families and educators working in non-subsidized daycares,” said Jing Ping Tang, owner of Garderie Ami Câlin Aylmer and Plateau.

Tang said the organization operates two locations with a licensed capacity of 160 spaces. “We currently have only 80 children enrolled across both daycares, mainly because many families cannot afford the higher fees associated with non-subsidized services,” she said.

She added that families in non-subsidized centres face additional disparities. “Children with special needs in non-subsidized daycares do not have access to individualized support subsidies or professional services, as these establishments are not eligible for such funding,” Tang said. “Educators in non-subsidized daycares also do not have access to the 6.6 per cent pension plan offered in the subsidized network.”

Organizers are calling for the conversion of their spaces to subsidized status and for broader measures to reduce financial inequities between the two systems.

Hull MNA Suzanne Tremblay said expanding access to affordable childcare spaces remains a government priority.

“Our government’s priority is to increase the supply of affordable spaces for Quebec families. The conversion of subsidized spaces is one of the tools we are using to achieve this,” Tremblay said. “Since the launch of the Grand chantier, the Outaouais region has benefitted from the creation of 1,790 new spaces in CPEs and subsidized daycares, as well as 743 spaces converted from the non-subsidized sector to the subsidized network. This represents significant progress for our region.”

She acknowledged the pressure in the Plateau sector. “I am well aware of the particular pressure experienced by families in the Plateau area, a rapidly growing neighbourhood where needs are significant,” Tremblay said. “I continue to closely monitor this file and to advocate for local realities so that the development of spaces reflects demographic growth and the needs of families.”

The Quebec government’s Grand chantier initiative aims to expand the number of subsidized childcare spaces across the province, including through the conversion of private non-subsidized spaces. Organizers of the March 6 demonstration say rapid population growth in the Plateau has intensified demand for affordable childcare.