CAQ still hasn’t created 37,000 daycare spots
Posted September 10, 2024 9:16 am.
The CAQ government appears to be distancing itself from its commitment to create 37,000 subsidized daycare spaces by March of next year and ensure that all parents would have place for their child.
According to the latest data from the Family Ministry, more than 5,200 children were added to the waiting list as of July 31, for a total of 34,000 – less than a year before the deadline.
In October 2021, the Quebec government pledged to create 37,000 subsidized spaces by March 31, 2025, at a cost of $3 billion.
Premier François Legault even expressed his impatience and eagerness at the time, suggesting that the deadline was too far away.
According to the data, the CAQ government’s objective of creating 37,000 places has been reached by 95.1 per if you consider that more than 19,000 spaces are “in progress” – something the opposition disputes since it does not indicate if there are any actual places.
This would mean that 19,000 places need to be delivered in less than seven months, while the monthly rate is well below the 2,700 which would be necessary by then.
The Parti Québécois (PQ) said that they believe the CAQ will miss its target.
PQ family critic Joël Arseneau noted that he thinks the government is either in denial or not telling the truth about whether it will reach its goal by next March.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
