Quebec's subsidized daycare centres will see $120 million slashed from their budgets next year.

Representatives from the daycares had a meeting with the government Thursday to discuss how that would be done, but ended up walking out in frustration.

“We're in a mode of real despair. We've faced many cuts over the last years and each one was painful. But this one is huge - it's $120 million for our network and we don't know how we're going to be able to get out of it,” said Gina Gasparrini, president of the Quebec Association of Public Daycares.

The government said it based its calculations on one third of the province's daycares, the ones that spend the least amount of money.

Family Minister Francine Charbonneau says the other daycares need to take a closer look at why they're spending more.

“Can we do better? Why is it in what we have that some people have deficits and some people have more money? We have to think about this because it's the money of every Quebecer,” she said.

But Gasparrini says that's not fair.

“Let's look at the context. Why are those few daycares able to do it at that cost? Well, there's probably something particular either about their region where they're located, their clientele, their building or something that makes it possible for them to spend a little bit less in that area,” she said.

The opposition says the cuts will amount to 2,800 jobs losses for daycare educators -- about 12 per cent of the workforce in that sector.

“The government has no limit to the damage it's willing to cause in order to achieve its austerity program,” said PQ Leader Pierre Karl Peladeau.

Daycare workers are now trying to figure out how to cut corners on staffing while still respecting ratios and providing quality care.