Subsidized private daycare centers are being scorched by the Auditor General and treated unfairly.
In a report published last week, auditor Guylaine Leclerc highlighted that 57% of subsidized private daycare centers failed in terms of educational quality, compared to a failure rate of just 21% for Early Childhood Centers (CPE).
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Rally of Private Daycares of Quebec president Mario Ranallo protested these rankings.
He assured that if subsidized private daycare centers were as well funded as CPEs, they would achieve the same results. In fact, they receive 30% less public funding, he argued.
“A priori, a new CPE tenant would receive $320,000 more per year than an equivalent subsidized private daycare center with 80 places,” Mr Ranallo illustrated.
For example, the CPE benefits from a 50% partial refund of the GST/QST, a council tax exemption and funding for rental improvements, all benefits that private childcare is not entitled to.
He also regrets the fact that more complaints are filed against subsidized private daycare centers than against CPEs.
“Is it because CPEs are nonprofits governed by boards of directors that don’t want to take the blame for a mistake that occurred in child care? Mr. Ranallo asked. But would it be right to do this for private daycare centers that are wholeheartedly committed to making childcare work? »
The chairman of the Rally believes that there is discrimination and that “it distorts the results”.
He also believes that trivialities between children in private daycare centers are treated as complaints.
Finally, he wanted to reassure parents: the safety of children is guaranteed in subsidized private daycare centers, which are committed to the quality of services.