WHAT'S A CHILDCARE CENTRE?
Childcare centres (called CPE in French) are social-economy organizations governed by the Quebec Act respecting childcare centres and childcare services. Each childcare centre is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization or as a cooperative. The corporation is administered by a board of directors made up of at least seven members, two thirds of which must be parents.
These corporations have the mission to satisfy the childcare needs of parents within their community and to meet the educational needs of children entrusted to them.
The childcare centre's board of directors must include a minimum of seven members, two thirds of which (a minimum of five) must be user parents or future users of the educational childcare services provided by the centre. At least one member must come from the business, institutional, social, educational or community sector, and a maximum of two members can be part of the centre's staff.
The board of directors ensures the sound management of the services offered by the childcare centre, notably by defining policies, setting goals, and following up with the person in charge of management under its authority regarding planning, management, control, and evaluation of the childcare centre's services, programs and resources.
WHAT'S A HOME CHILDCARE PROVIDER?
Educational home childcare is a paid service provided by a person in a private home. Since June1, 2006, such a person must be recognized as a home childcare provider by a home-childcare coordinating office. Before this date, recognition was granted by the childcare centre's permit holder.
The person in charge of a home childcare service and recognized by a coordinating office cannot offer services to more than 6children, including a maximum of 2children under 18months of age (infants). This number includes the person's own children below 9 as well as the children under 9 who ordinarily reside with her. If assisted by another adult, the person in charge of a home childcare service can offer services to up to 9children, including a maximum of 4children under 18months of age (infants). This number includes the person's own children under 9, those of the assisting adult as well as the children under 9 who ordinarily reside with them.
An educational home childcare service resembles the child's living environment. The home and, if applicable, the family members contribute to create this familiar environment. Furthermore, the person in charge of a home childcare service offers her services according to some conditions she determines with her clients, notably with regards to schedules and the number of days of attendance.
WHAT'S A CHILDCARE COORDINATING OFFICE?
Since June1, 2006, the home childcare coordinating offices certified by the Ministère de la Famille et des Aînés coordinate, in a given territory, the educational childcare services provided by home childcare providers. Coordinating offices provide support to home childcare providers and ensure the application of the norms established in the regulations regarding such persons. The activities of coordinating offices are exclusively dedicated to home childcare.
The vast majority of home childcare coordinating offices are incumbents of a childcare centre and have obtained a certification to act as such. A few home childcare coordinating offices are new non-profit organizations formed by childcare-centre permit holders, whose main purpose is to act as a coordinating office.
The functions of a coordinating office
The home childcare coordinating office must answer the needs of home childcare providers and serves to:
·grant recognition to providers
·offer educational and technical assistance upon request
·apply surveillance measures pursuant to the regulations
·facilitate ongoing and follow-up training for providers
·allow subsidized places
·manage subsidies intended for providers and ensure the management of agreements and other documents required for the administration of grants.
·maintain a centralized information service regarding home childcare services
·processing complaints from parents.
