The PQ promises to free child care in the CPE for low-income families

Marc-André Gagnon

Thursday, 25 January 2018 11:13

UPDATE
Thursday, 25 January 2018 18:48

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SHAWINIGAN | If the Parti québécois came to power in the next elections, the families whose incomes are lower to $ 34 000 will no longer pay a cent to send their children to daycare.

It is, according to the head of the parti québecois Jean-François Lisée, a question of fairness with the parents on social assistance who are already benefiting from free childcare services.

As it had pledged to do last spring, Jean-François Lisée has reiterated, during the closing of his caucus présessionnel in Shawinigan, a government of the Parti québécois would bring the pricing of child care services at a single rate of € 8.05 $ for the first child.

“We go back to the basic philosophy of the educational day care service that is universal”, explained in press conference the head of the parti québecois, which accuses the liberals of having undermined the network of the CPE, by imposing the modulation of rates for childcare services.

Last march, the leader of the parti québecois had advanced the figure of 7,30 $ per day, but this rate has since been revised on the basis of the most recent adjustments made by the government, he explained.

Free for the third child

For a second child, the rate would be cut in half, to $ 4 per day. Free would apply then for the third child and the following of the same family.

“It is essential to be able to allow this access to childcare services and not to penalize larger families, as is the case at present”, stressed the mp, pq’s Véronique Hivon.

Relief additional gradual would also be granted to families who are eligible for the tax credit of solidarity, or those whose incomes are less than 60 000 $.

Abolish the “tax family”

The pq would abolish, therefore, the additional contribution for childcare services according to family income established by the government Couillard, is the famous line 434 of the income tax return that Mr. Lisée calls “tax family”.

“What the liberal government has done with this line 434, said Mr. Lisée, it is giving a lot of oxygen to the business model preferred by the CAQ, that is to say, the business model of child care non-subsidized quality services – all the research shows – is less.”

“By abolishing this tax, it is more than$ 100 Million that will return” in the pockets of middle-class parents, believes the head of the parti québecois.

Audit of the documents of Revenu Québec, this additional contribution has enabled the State to collect nearly$ 150 Million alone for the 2016 taxation year.

All of the measures proposed by the Parti québécois would cost approximately$ 320 Million to the State, according to Mr. Lisée, not to mention the cost of creating new daycare spaces.

The ceo of the Association québécoise des centres de la petite enfance (AQCPE), Louis Senecal, believes that it is a step in the right direction.

“The traditional position to the ADCPE, it is free for short. It is estimated that it is an essential service that the hospital services, the health services”, he commented.

Here is what is proposed in the Parti québécois for subsidized day care services

• Abolition of the row 434, the PQ describes as the “tax family”
• Back to a single tariff of € 8.05$ for the first child
• Rate of $ 4 per day for the second child
• Free for the 3rd child of the same family and the following
• Free for families with an annual income of less than 34 000 $