![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972157.1721587842!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Quebec launching new office to accelerate creation of daycare spaces
![daycare daycare](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2021/8/21/daycare-1-5556339-1629575107938.jpg)
With thousands of children on a waiting list for child care, Quebec is setting up a new government office to deal with the backlog.
More than 33,300 children were on a waiting list for a space as of Aug. 31.
In October 2021, Quebec launched a "Grand chantier pour les familles," which aimed to ensure a place for all children by 2024-2025. Projects have been submitted to the Ministry of the Family, but for various reasons, it can take a long time for the projects to materialize.
Quebec is therefore launching "Bureau d'accélération des projets" to speed up the process.
In an interview on Monday, Family Minister Suzanne Roy said the office will meet for the first time this month and then every two weeks.
"When a problem is reported, it will find out what is delaying or blocking the process, and then work to solve the problem. And his decisions will be binding," she said.
"In order for decisions to be made more quickly, to avoid back and forth, when there are difficulties, exceptions or special cases, it will be an office that will do an enforceable follow-up. It will make decisions and it will move," said Roy.
The minister wants to "avoid at all costs" projects that exceed the two-year deadline for completion. This often includes design and construction.
Currently, there are 700 projects underway. She could not say how many of these are actually stalled, as the number fluctuates and depends on various factors.
She noted that since the launch of the Grand chantier pour les familles in October 2021, more than 8,000 spaces have been created, "a 20-year high," she said. But the need is even greater -- hence the need to accelerate.
The Association québécoise des Centres de la petite enfance (AQCPE) was pleased with Minister Roy's initiative.
"It is to go faster, to unblock [the projects]. We had asked Mathieu Lacombe, the previous minister. So, that the minister puts it in place quickly at the beginning of his mandate, for us, it's very good news," said Hélène Gosselin, president of the board of directors of the AQCPE.
She gave examples of projects that can be delayed or blocked because of a problem with the size of the land, the notary or a change in the development adviser, which results in several "round trips" with government officials.
She hopes that when a solution is found for a particular project, it "can be used as a model" for other projects that face a similar problem.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 6, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972157.1721587842!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING NEWS Biden drops out of 2024 race, endorses Harris to be Democratic nominee
U.S. President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for reelection after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent's fitness for office with the election just four months away. It was a late-season campaign thunderstrike unlike any in American history.
What happens next: Joe Biden wants to pass the baton to Kamala Harris. Here's how that might work
With U.S. President Joe Biden ending his reelection bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year.
Read Biden's full text announcing the end to his re-election campaign
U.S. President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump. He announced his decision in a letter posted on social media. Read the full text.
Joy in Newfoundland after 'Lucky 7' fishers survive harrowing days lost at sea
There was a powerful word being repeated in the joyful Newfoundland community of New-Wes-Valley on Sunday: 'Miracle.'
Here are the signs you're ready to downsize your home
Amid the cost-of-living crisis, many Canadians are looking to find ways to save money, such as downsizing their home. But one Ottawa broker says there are several signs to consider before making the big decision.
A 12-year-old girl is accused of smothering her younger cousin over an iPhone
A 12-year-old girl in Tennessee has been charged with murder, accused of smothering her eight-year-old cousin as the younger girl slept. A relative said they had been arguing over an iPhone.
Trudeau and family head to British Columbia for vacation in unnamed location
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will head to British Columbia on Sunday, where he will be on vacation with his family until Aug. 1.
Even if your kids roll their eyes, keep making jokes, research says
Researchers surveyed about 300 people about their experiences being raised with or without humour and their views on their childhood, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.
Hazmat response to north London, Ont. apartment complex
Circumstances around a deceased individual in an apartment raise concerns for first responders.