Marois government plans 28,000 new daycare spaces

The Marois government announced plans to create28,000 new spaces in daycares across the province by 2016.

Of those spaces, 13,000 were already planned.

Jean Charest's government promised 15,000 spaces, managing to deliver 2,000 of those spots while it was in power.

The daycare network should count 250,000 spaces by 2016.

A news release from the government details the two phases of this latest expansionof the daycare program.

First, the government is giving thegreen light to the spaces announced by the Charest government. Then, it will introduce 15,000 new spots in February 2013.

Once the project is tabled, 22 regional consultation committees will analyze the need for more spaces in daycares in their communities.

Marois said most of the new spaces will be in government-funded centres for young children (CPE).

She justified the decision by alluding to their track record.

"In those private daycare centres, there [are] more complaints more so I think it is better go to in the 'centre de la petite enfance,'" said Marois.

Despite an estimate price tag of $260 million, the government said it would not increase the $7-a-day daycare fee that parents pay per child.

Marois said her government would eventually consider indexing the cost to inflation but that, for now, the project will be fundedby taxpayers.

She said funding will be determined once the additional spaces are introduced.

"Maybe we could index the cost for the participation of the parents," she said.

Marois said her government's objective is to have a spot in daycares for every child that needs it.

During the election campaign in August,Marois promised to finish the workshe started in 1997, when she launched the CPE network.