Not enough qualified childcare workers in Quebec

The CAQ government hasn’t been able to attract and retain qualified daycare educators within the past three years.

Currently, there are over 7,000 educators working in the network, but only 278 are qualified workers.

According to data obtained by Radio-Canada, more than 10 educators have left the field daily for the past three years due to wages and working conditions.

Also, among the unqualified educators, they’ve only completed one out of the three years of the required training for early childhood education techniques.

The only incentive to complete the training is a higher salary – which is only offered if you complete all three years.

New reports from CEGEPs also showed that the number of students who dropped out of the education training program has been on the rise.

Earlier this year, Quebec Auditor General Guylaine Leclerc pointed out that 41 per cent of childcare services did not offer quality services and that the proportion of daycares without qualified workers increased from 32 per cent to 46 per cent between 2018 and 2023.

Quebec Premier François Legault noted that the salaries were increased by 18 per cent three years ago and that scholarships worth $1,500 were offered to attract students into this sector.

In 2021, the government set a goal of recruiting 18,000 educators by 2026.