CAQ still hasn't fulfilled promise to create 37,000 daycare spots

A child at a daycare. (Source: Pexels)

François Legault's government seems to be distancing itself from its commitment to create 37,000 subsidized daycare spots by March of next year.

This comes after it made a promise to ensure that all parents would have a place for their child.

According to the latest data from the Quebe Family Ministry, more than 5,200 children were added to the waiting list as of July 31, for a total of 34,000.

In October 2021, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) had pledged to create 37,000 subsidized places by March 31, 2025, at a cost of $3 billion.

Legault even expressed his impatience and eagerness at the time, suggesting that the deadline was too far away.

According to the data, the target of creating 37,000 spaces has been reached by 95.1 per cent, but this is based on the fact that more than 19,000 spaces are "in progress" -- something opposition parties dispute as it does not indicate that there are any actual spaces.

That would mean that 19,000 places need to be delivered in less than seven months to reach the target, while the monthly rate is currently well below the 2,700 that would be required by then.

The Parti Québécois (PQ) has already said it believes that the CAQ will miss its target.

PQ family critic Joël Arseneau points out that he thinks the government is either in denial or not telling the truth about whether it will reach its target by next March.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 10, 2024.