Human Resources committee  Child care services in Quebec come in all shapes and sizes, because they were developed at random over the years. However, the quality of services provided by CPEs, which are subsidized non-profit organizations, has been proven over the years. When their services are evaluated, they must comply.

Human Resources committee  In Quebec, external evaluators conduct quality inspections before license renewal, which occurs every five years for subsidized child care centres. Inspections are done on site. If the centre fails inspection or has areas for improvement, a support plan is proposed to ensure that those areas are improved and identify ways to do that.

Human Resources committee  Since child care falls under provincial jurisdiction, it sort of goes without saying. The Quebec network's independence has helped it respond more adequately to needs, so it's very important that service organization remain a provincial jurisdiction. This will ensure that enforcement aligns with each province's realities.

Human Resources committee  Quebec had to move faster to close the gap between the male and female employment rates. At the same time, it needed to take action for certain disadvantaged groups, like single mothers. When the children's educational services network was set up, Quebec very quickly saw an increase in economic productivity among single mothers.

Human Resources committee  Establishing a committee is a good tool to ensure enforcement. That said, who should be on it? Organizations representing each province need to be on it. It's also very important to have researchers from various backgrounds to ensure that high-quality services are provided in all provinces across Canada.

Human Resources committee  Yes, we're currently experiencing the fallout. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the most vulnerable families. Among other things, more incidents have been reported at the Youth Protection Branch. The pandemic has isolated families and children. We have families who use services to feed their children, and that's very important in this time of inflation we're experiencing.

Human Resources committee  The quality of services has declined. The earlier they begin working with children, the earlier they can recognize those who need language stimulation, for example. That means those children have access to language development services as soon as they begin to speak. This gives them better chances of success in school and of integrating better into the school system.

Human Resources committee  No, absolutely not. Based on what Quebec and the Accueillir la petite enfance educational program advocate, children are the prime player in their development, and the main responsibility for children's education lies with parents. It's not our role to usurp the parents' role as educators.

Human Resources committee  Studies in Quebec show a major difference in service quality, because the level of quality in non-profit services is 30% higher. This is somewhat related to the previous question. Non-profit child care is available across Quebec, including the more remote areas. However, for-profit child care providers set up shop in areas like Montreal or Quebec City with high population density, where they have a better chance of doing good business.

Human Resources committee  Thank you. Yes, the waiting lists are long in Quebec because we suspended development projects for a decade. If they hadn't been put on hold and we had continued to develop services rather than cut budgets, we would have been able to meet the demand more quickly, and that would have prevented people from ending up on a waiting list.

Human Resources committee  Thank you very much. Good afternoon. My name is Hélène Gosselin and I am chair of the board of directors of the Association québécoise des centres de la petite enfance, or AQCPE. As an early childhood expert, the AQCPE provides leadership, representation, outreach and support of a quality system of educational child care centres and coordinating offices, commonly known as CPEs and BCs, for children aged 0 to 5 years.