Minister Luc Fortin announces a $29.3 million investment to promote equal opportunity for all children

Strategy regarding educational services for children aged 0 to 8

TROIS-RIVIÈRES, QC, June 28, 2018 – The Government of Québec is investing $29.3 million over five years to implement measures that will promote equal opportunities for all children and facilitate access to educational childcare for children from disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. Minister of Families Luc Fortin made the announcement in the company of Pierre Michel Auger, MNA for Champlain, and Julie Boulet, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Mauricie region.

The investment breaks down as follows:

• $1.5 million will be used to set up pilot projects to provide breakfast to children in educational childcare services;
• $20 million will be used to improve the unique support measures for the integration of children with special needs in educational childcare services;
• $6.4 million will support agencies in reaching the parents of children who do not attend educational services, particularly immigrants and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and in offering them appropriate educational services;
• $1.4 million will go toward improving the detection of children 0 to 5 years old living in vulnerable situations and those who demonstrate developmental difficulties. To this end, the Ministère de la Famille will reach an agreement with the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux to establish formal mechanisms for the continuous and fluid collaboration between the educational childcare and health and social services networks.

These investments are in addition to the $2 million announced last February by Minister Fortin to eliminate, for some parents, fees related to educational and cultural outings organized by early childhood centres and subsidized childcare centres.

On March 26, Minister Fortin announced $95 million to increase access to educational childcare services for children from disadvantaged regions throughout Québec. Families on certain assistance programs administered by the Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité Sociale will receive five days of childcare per week at no cost, as of January 2020, instead of the 2.5 days they currently have. In the 2018–2019 budget, the expansion of this exemption was moved ahead to August 2018. This represents an additional government investment of $3.4 million in 2018–2019 for a total recurring investment of $20 million annually.

Quotes

The measures we are announcing today will directly benefit children from disadvantaged backgrounds, some of whom are at risk, as well as those with disabilities and special needs. They will also help us to reach parents. By better supporting all children early in their education, we ensure that they are well equipped to develop their full potential, to thrive and to succeed.

– Luc Fortin, Minister of Families

It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this announcement that will greatly benefit the children and families of the riding of Champlain. The various measures that will be implemented demonstrate our government’s desire to see that all children have equal opportunities to grow and thrive.

– Pierre Michel Auger, MNA for Champlain

The $31.3 million announced today will give Québec children equal opportunities to develop their full potential and support parents in the pursuit of this objective. This is great news for families in the Mauricie region, but also for all of Québec.

– Julie Boulet, Minister of Tourism, Minister responsible for the Mauricie region and MNA for Laviolette

The Club has volunteered for this pilot project because its objectives fit perfectly with our mission: to provide children an equal chance of educational success and nourish their potential. Our actions over the past 23 years have allowed us to demonstrate the impact and crucial role of breakfast in schoolchildren. I am therefore convinced that it will be beneficial for our little ones to start their day with a balanced breakfast served in the inclusive and caring environment that is their educational childcare service. The Breakfast Club of Canada is proud to share its expertise with the government in order to provide the best for our children!

– Daniel Germain, President and founder of the Breakfast Club of Canada

The CQSEPE is proud to lead a three-year project aiming to develop training and tools that will allow the adoption of best practices for more coherent and effective educational measures for children with language and behavioural challenges.

– Francine Lessard, Executive Director of the Conseil Québécois des Services Éducatifs à la Petite Enfance

Key points

• This financial assistance is part of the goal to “Foster equal opportunity for all children” in the strategy regarding educational services for children from birth to age 8: It’s All About the Children
• The Conseil Québécois des Services Éducatifs à la Petite Enfance (CQSEPE) has brought to the Minister of Families a pilot project aiming to develop training and tools to improve educational interventions and introduce best practices for educators and home childcare providers working with children who have language and behavioural challenges. This project will take place in two regions and will reach nearly 305 home childcare providers and 210 early childhood workers.