Luc Fortin maintains the administrative tolerance for babies

Photo Simon Clark

QMI agency

Saturday 13 January 2018 14:11

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Saturday 13 January 2018 14:11

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QUÉBEC | minister of the Family, Luc Fortin, on Saturday announced that the government will impose more limits on the administrative tolerance for children 18 months and over in the nurseries subsidized.

The administrative tolerance allows for early childhood centres (CPES) and subsidized childcare to keep children 18 to 29 months for groups of infants 0 to 17 months when there are no seats available in an older group.

“In order that no child will be denied daycare because of his date of birth, and to reassure the stakeholders, I decided to change my approach and remove the limit of the administrative tolerance announced for the next year, said Mr. Fortin by press release.

“However, the Ministry will discuss with the partners to ensure that the measure of tolerance that currently applies remains outstanding,” he continued.

The Association québécoise des centres de la petite enfance (AQCPE) welcomed the decision of the minister. “The government has taken the advantage of families and we welcome his decision,” said Louis Senécal, president and ceo of the AQCPE, by issuing a press release.

“The administrative tolerance responds to a concrete need of very many parents, in addition to promoting the stability of groups of children, which is especially important at this age.”

The administrative tolerance is intended to avoid that the “infants of the spring” should be penalised. Since they often arrive in the nursery in September at the age of 16 months, some educational childcare services subsidized may be reluctant to welcome them in the absence of this measure. Thanks to the increase of the subsidy, babysitting services can be integrated in younger age groups without being penalized.