New Community Childcare Model Expands Options

Summary#

• This bill creates a new way to offer early childhood educational childcare in community settings, not in private homes. It lets self‑employed people run small childcare services in non‑residential places if they are recognized by a coordinating office.

• It updates rules, names, and duties so coordinating offices now support both home‑based and community childcare. It also extends safety powers and collective bargaining rules to cover community providers.

• Key changes:

  • Allows self‑employed individuals to run “community childcare” in a non‑residential location that meets health and safety standards.
  • Sets clear child‑to‑adult limits: up to 6 children alone; up to 9 with an adult assistant; up to 12 if two recognized providers work together in the same place.
  • Lets two recognized providers share the same site if they sign a collaboration agreement and name which one is the “main” provider for each child.
  • Gives coordinating offices power to order an immediate evacuation of unsafe sites and sets fines (from $5,000 to $50,000) for ignoring such orders.
  • Extends collective representation and bargaining rights (already used by home childcare providers) to community childcare providers.
  • Ends the pilot project once the new system starts, with transition rules and an option for the minister to extend the pilot briefly if needed.

What it means for you#

• Parents

  • More childcare options in community places (not private homes), with small group sizes.
  • Your service agreement will name the main person responsible for your child when two providers collaborate.
  • Safety oversight applies. A coordinating office can evacuate a site if there is a serious risk to children.
  • Providers cannot be paid public subsidies for caring for their own child or a child who lives with them. This does not affect other families’ eligibility.

• Childcare providers (self‑employed)

  • You can be recognized to offer childcare in a non‑residential location if it meets set standards. Recognition lasts 5 years and can be renewed.
  • You may work:
    • Alone: up to 6 children (max 2 under 18 months).
    • With an adult assistant: up to 9 children (max 4 under 18 months).
    • In collaboration with another recognized provider in the same site: up to 12 children together (max 4 under 18 months). If only one provider is present, limits drop back to 6 or 9 as above.
  • Your own children, your assistant’s children, and children who live with either of you count toward the group size if they are present and eligible for care.
  • You must ensure a safe, child‑only space during care hours and cannot tolerate degrading, abusive, or other inappropriate behavior by a collaborator or assistant toward children.
  • Background checks are required for you and for adults regularly present in the site (assistants, trainees, volunteers, occasional replacements).
  • You can ask to switch between home‑based and community recognition if you meet the other model’s rules; your valid background check carries over.
  • You are covered by the same collective representation and bargaining system as home childcare providers.

• Coordinating offices (bureaux coordonnateurs)

  • New name and role: you now coordinate both home‑based and community childcare.
  • You recognize community providers for specific locations, can approve multiple locations in the same building (by regulation), and may allow alternating providers in one site (by regulation).
  • You can set lower child limits in some cases (by regulation), promote training and quality, keep records that show whether recognition is home or community, and order evacuations when children’s health, safety, or well‑being is at serious risk.

• Trainees, volunteers, and assistants

  • If you are 18 or older and regularly present in a community childcare site, you must undergo a background check.

• Municipalities and building owners

  • Municipal tax rules are updated to include community childcare providers, aligning treatment with home‑based providers.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Will create more childcare options quickly by allowing small, regulated services in community locations.
• Keeps groups small and sets clear ratios, which can support safety and attention to each child.
• Strengthens child protection: coordinators can evacuate unsafe sites; providers must not tolerate abusive behavior by collaborators or assistants.
• Gives providers flexibility to work alone, with an assistant, or in pairs, which can help with staffing and longer opening hours.
• Brings community providers under the same collective bargaining system as home providers, supporting fair and consistent working conditions.
• Smooth transition from the pilot project reduces disruption for families and providers.

Opponents' View#

• Finding and paying for non‑residential space may be hard for self‑employed providers, which could limit how many new places open.
• Added rules, background checks, and oversight may increase paperwork and costs for providers and coordinating offices.
• When two providers share a site, roles and “main provider” rules could confuse parents if one provider is absent or suspended.
• Child limits (up to 12 with two providers) may still feel tight for demand in some areas, while others may worry about safety in larger groups.
• Municipal and regulatory details are left to future regulations, creating uncertainty about zoning, setup standards, and timelines.