Daycare shortage on Magdalen Islands leaves parents scrambling daily to find child care

Jean-Michel Leblanc is one of dozens of parents on the Magdalen Islands struggling to secure a daycare spot for his youngest daughter, comparing the daily task to"constantly trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle."

A survey by the Magdalen Islandsyouth advisory committeefound 125 children under the age of five needa space in daycare, or willby September.

Leblanc sayshe has to jugglechild care responsibilitiesdaily, without being able to plan ahead.

His 22-month-old is on the standby list of a home daycare, which means he sometimes only gets confirmation at 9 a.m. about an availablespot if one of the children with a spotis absent.

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Leblanc's wife, Marie-ve Giroux, works full-time for a local environmental organization and doesn'thave much flexibility, so she can't pitch in on days whenno temporary daycare spots arefreed up.

Leblanchas three part-time jobs: he's a CEGEP teacher, a school counsellor and an energy efficiency consultant. He said his employers are understanding, but there is little wiggle room.

"If I am offered a 40-hour-a-week job right now, I would have to refuse," said Leblanc.

Newspaces coming in 2020

Leblanc also went through this juggling act with his four-year-old, before finally securing a space in a subsidized home daycare lastSeptember.

There are 189 daycare spaces in total on the Magdalen Islands, according todata from Quebec's Family Ministry, in addition to 120 spaces at two subsidized non-profit early childhood education centres, known as CPEs.

While one of the CPEshas been granted 36 new spaces by the province, itrequires the construction of a new building first which won't be readyfor at least two years.

Turning to private daycare is not an option for Leblanc, either.

Even though he'd be willing to pay up to $70 a day to securepeace of mind, he said there are just no spaces available.

Familyleavesthe Islands

Leblanc said he's fortunateconsidering his whole family lives on the Islands, and he can call his mother or his aunt if there is an emergency.

But he said that's not the case for everyoneand said at least ten of his close friends are in the same situation.

"I know a family who left the Islands, in part because they couldn't find a space," he said.

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Mayor Jonathan Lapierrewants the government to act.

"This [shortage] adds stress to young professionals who have to choose between work, family and financial obligations," he said.

A spokesperson for Family MinisterLuc Fortinsaid the ministry works in close collaboration with the CPEsand is looking for solutions.