In a press release Sunday afternoon, the minister of families announced that educational daycares located in “cold zones” can now take 75 per cent of the maximum number of children indicated on their licenses. The number was previously 50 pe rcent.
Quebec is only authorizing daycares outside of the Montreal area, the Joliette regional county municipality, and the city of L'Épiphanie to increase their child-to-educator ratios.
In the case of home childcare, the authorized ratio will be five children if the caregiver works alone and seven children if an assistant is present.
“In addition to improving the quality of life for families, this new phase of reopening childcare services will allow many parents to return to the job market,” wrote Minister of Families Mathieu Lacombe in the press release.
He also noted that reconciling family and work is an “important issue” and that many parents will now be able to “find a certain balance in life.”
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on Sunday, June 7, 2020.