Some parents pay out of pocket for the private services of speech therapists, psychoeducators or private psychologists, while others obtain reimbursements from their school service centers (CSS), the Minister of Education said on Tuesday. Bernard Drainville.
“It is not a uniform approach from one school service center to another,” declared the Minister during the study of the budget appropriations of his department, at the National Assembly.
His statement contrasted with a commitment from his predecessor, Jean-François Roberge. In October 2021, the latter had sent a letter to the directors general of the CSS. In it, he asked them to turn to the private sector, as a last resort, if their CSS was unable to provide “the services [que l’organisme scolaire] judge required for a child”.
Minister Roberge’s letter was a reaction to an article in the Quebec newspaper which reported the case of Anaïs Bouchard Poulin, a 4-year-old kindergarten student with a language disorder. Her parents, who had had to resort to private services to help their daughter, had denounced this situation by turning to the united deputy Christine Labrie.
No refund policy
Verification made with Quebec solidaire, the family of Anaïs Bouchard Poulin obtained a refund, as promised by Minister Roberge. However, all Quebec parents cannot expect compensation for all that.
“For parents who decide to go private, there is no refund policy,” said Minister Drainville on Tuesday.
“Your predecessor said: ‘Parents, you will be reimbursed, I am committed to that,’ reminded him of MP Ruba Ghazal, of Québec solidaire. I see there a contradiction between what you say and what your predecessor said. »
At the end of his exchange with his colleague, Mr. Drainville declared that “some CSS have a reimbursement policy”, while others do not.
“So some school service centers may decide not to? asked Ms. Ghazal, referring to the reimbursement of private services. Minister Drainville nodded.