Daycare owner risks losing business over Quebec belt-tightening

The owner of a daycare in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville says her business was supposed to open May 5, but she's been forced to postpone until the new provincial government passes its budget.

Annie Mass, the owner of Le Bois Enchant daycare,told CBCs Daybreak that her daycare is set to open, and has been since early May, the only thing missing is her daycare license.

The muffins are in the oven, we are more than ready [to open], she said.

The new Liberal government is looking at a range of austerity measures, including freezing the number of spaces available in the public daycare system, as it struggles to deal with a deficit projected at $3.145 billion $645 million more than the formerPartiQubcoisestimated.

Masshas no choice but to wait until the Liberal government votes on its budget, which is expected to be tabled early June. If sheisnt allowed to open, Masssays shell lose her investment.

Mass runs a subsidized private daycare,which means spots only cost parents $7 a day.

She says converting her daycare into a fully private model isnt an option, because the system doesnt allow that.

Parents forced to miss work

In the meantime, Mass says the families who were depending on her serviceare in limbo.

The situation is pretty critical. We have families, they cant work, they [have to] stay at home with the kids, she said.

This is terrible. This is really difficult, she said.