Today, the MNA representing Westmount-Saint-Louis and Official Opposition Critic for Families, Ms. Jennifer Maccarone, questioned the Minister for Families, Mr. Mathieu Lacombe, about the action undertaken in the closure of three daycare centres in Levis this past February. Through access to information requests, we were able to determine that the Minister allowed a daycare centre to shirk its responsibilities for ministry mandated verifications and inspections, including personnel background checks, the compulsory successful completion of a first aid course, as well as the required space for the number of children.
The Minister of Family wanted to act quickly but, in doing so, important elements of the law and regulations were set aside. Consequently, the security of the children attending the facility could be compromised.
Like the Minister, we believe that we need to act quickly to help parents faced with a daycare centre closure, but it is never acceptable to take risks with our children’s safety.
– Jennifer Maccarone, MNA representing Westmount-Saint-Louis and Official Opposition Critic for Families
The Minister also set a precedent by allowing two daycare centres to offer subsidized and non-subsidized spaces under the same roof. The MNA representing Westmount-Saint-Louis and Official Opposition Critic for Families, Ms. Jennifer Maccarone, wonders how the Minister will tell a parent that pays $45 per day, that there are other parents with children who attend the same facility- children who see the same educators and eat the same meals- who are paying $8.25 daily for the exact same services.
How can the Minister for Families, who is responsible for enforcing the Educational Childcare Regulation and Act, expect to have the legitimacy to enforce the law in the future when he doesn’t apply it himself?
– Jennifer Maccarone, MNA representing Westmount-Saint-Louis and Official Opposition Critic for Families
