Quebec Opens Community Childcare Spaces

Summary#

• This bill creates a new way to offer early learning and childcare in Quebec. It lets self‑employed people run small childcare services in community spaces (not private homes) if they are officially recognized and supervised.

• It updates the role of coordinating offices, sets safety and capacity rules, allows two recognized providers to work together in one location, and extends union-style representation to these community providers.

• Key changes:

  • Recognizes “community” childcare run by self‑employed individuals in non‑residential locations, with a five‑year recognition tied to a specific site.
  • Sets group-size limits: up to 6 children alone; up to 9 with an assistant; up to 12 when two recognized providers collaborate, with stricter limits for infants under 18 months.
  • Requires a written collaboration agreement when two providers work together; both must sign the parent contract and name which provider is the primary responsible for each child.
  • Gives coordinating offices stronger safety powers, including ordering an evacuation of a site if children face serious risk; adds fines for ignoring such orders.
  • Extends collective representation and bargaining rules that exist for home childcare to the new community providers; updates related laws (including municipal tax law) to reflect this model.
  • Manages the shift from the current pilot project to permanent rules and lets the minister extend the pilot if needed for a smooth transition.

What it means for you#

• Parents

  • More childcare options may open in nearby community spaces (for example, offices or community centres), not just in private homes or centres.
  • Small group sizes:
    • One recognized provider alone: up to 6 children (no more than 2 under 18 months).
    • One recognized provider with an adult assistant: up to 9 (no more than 4 under 18 months).
    • Two recognized providers working together: up to 12 (no more than 4 under 18 months). If staffing drops (one provider leaves), the lower limits apply right away.
  • Your childcare agreement must list both collaborating providers and clearly name the main person responsible for your child.
  • Safety is reinforced. Coordinating offices can evacuate a site if there is a serious risk to children.

• Self‑employed childcare providers

  • You can seek recognition to offer childcare in a non‑residential site. The rooms used must be reserved for childcare during service hours and meet health and safety standards.
  • Recognition lasts five years and applies only to the specific location listed. You may switch between “family” and “community” recognition if you meet the conditions.
  • You may have an adult assistant of your choice (who is not another recognized provider). Background checks are required for assistants, interns, volunteers, and occasional replacements who are adults.
  • If you collaborate with another recognized provider in the same space, you need a written collaboration agreement. Both of you must sign parent contracts and name a primary responsible for each child.
  • You must not tolerate abusive, degrading, or other inappropriate behaviour by a collaborator or assistant toward children.
  • Your own children (and your assistant’s) who are present and eligible for care count toward your group-size cap.
  • You cannot receive a subsidy for care you provide to your own child or a child who lives with you.
  • Coordinating offices can order an evacuation if there’s a grave risk; fines of $5,000 to $50,000 apply if children are allowed into a site under an evacuation order.

• Coordinating offices

  • New name and expanded role: they now coordinate both family and community childcare.
  • They recognize and monitor community providers, can approve collaboration in a single site, and can authorize lower child caps in certain cases set by regulation.
  • They may recognize more than one childcare room in the same building, and—under future regulations—more than two providers may rotate in the same site.
  • They must share information with people or groups looking to connect with prospective community providers.

• Community organizations, landlords, and employers

  • You may host small-group childcare in non‑residential spaces if they meet the standards. Rooms used for care must be dedicated to childcare during operating hours.
  • Municipal tax rules are updated to recognize this new type of childcare activity, which may affect how these spaces are classified or taxed.
  • Many practical details (site standards, monitoring, and how multiple providers can alternate in one space) will be set by future regulations.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Will add childcare spaces faster by using community locations, not just private homes or centre-based facilities.
• Keeps group sizes small, with clear caps and infant limits to protect quality and safety.
• Strengthens safety with evacuation powers, adult screening, and a ban on tolerating abusive behaviour.
• Offers flexible staffing: assistants and two-provider teams can serve more children without creating large groups.
• Gives community providers access to the same collective representation and bargaining framework as home childcare, supporting fair work conditions.
• Smooths the transition from the pilot to permanent rules, reducing disruption for families.

Opponents' View#

• Quality and consistency may vary across community sites, and oversight could be harder outside a home or centre setting.
• Coordinating offices may face higher workloads to monitor new sites, collaborations, and assistants.
• Parents could be confused about who is “primarily” responsible when two providers share a site.
• Finding and fitting out compliant non‑residential spaces could be costly or slow, and local zoning or leases may complicate setup.
• Allowing multiple providers to rotate in one space (by future regulation) could create scheduling and accountability challenges.
• Expansion of community sites might draw workers away from existing home childcare, affecting availability there.