The Quebec childcare center model is an asset. A real pillar in the fight against social inequalities and for women’s access to work, it is also a response to demographic and social changes (very low birth rates in aging societies).
To understand this, let’s recall some elements of history. From the 1950s and 1960s, women, in a quest for emancipation, social justice, equal access to employment and higher education, spontaneously and unitedly organized the care of their children. . The mobilization of unions, women’s groups and community organizations, starting in the 1970s, gradually imposed on the State the seizure of these questions. In a national context of great social negotiation, the high point in the 1990s was the creation of a network of childcare services. The objective of the CPEs was threefold: accessibility to a quality, affordable and universal childcare service which had the consequences of increasing the activity rate of women and reducing poverty among single-parent mothers.
Childcare and educational services
From a single window, families have access not only to childcare services, but also to educational services. In addition, the CPEs have offers tailored to the specific needs of children and families. Trained, the educators develop intervention objectives and educational means to promote children’s autonomy, their well-being, their socio-emotional, motor, cognitive and language development. Providing our young children with such an educational environment allows the acquisition of better self-esteem, promotes academic success, health, etc. These are lasting effects. At all levels, the network of childcare centers is a success. The people of Quebec have every reason to be proud of it and to wish for its sustainability.
Fragile health and safety
However, the current context of the labor shortage in childcare centers as well as the current working conditions represent a difficulty for daily life, for the hiring and retention of educators, as well as for the recruitment of students. in the field of early childhood. The pressure is such that occupational health and safety has become fragile.
To understand this, you have to immerse yourself in the daily life of educators. They work four days a week, nine hours a day, in an environment whose sound volume would approach that of a construction site. Since it is not a question of “babysitting” children, they design educational approaches and observe the evolution of children, their development, in order to be able to adapt to their needs. It is an exciting, but time-consuming job that requires initial and continuing training, supervision and preparation days, among other things. Is it normal that such a profession is so poorly paid? If it is difficult to hire today, how can we promise more places in childcare centers for the years to come?
All the staff of the childcare centers contribute to providing a quality education and living environment for the children. The professionals ensuring the preparation of the meals, the maintenance and the cleanliness of the premises, and the management and direction have a fundamental role in the balance of the CPEs. Together, let us recognize the essential role played by educators and childcare workers in the development of children and do so by offering decent working conditions: a living wage commensurate with the tasks and responsibilities incumbent on those who care for them. of our children. It is an ambitious project, but it is a social investment whose benefits are perceived in the long term in terms of health and social inequalities. Without sufficient funding, the quality of this network and its beneficial impact on children’s development will be affected.
Family organization
We regret that the demands of the educators and the staff of the childcare centers have still not been heard. Since the 1er December 2021, many CPE employees across Quebec began an indefinite strike. This situation creates problems of family organization, psychological distress, economic and social inequalities, gender inequalities. This is why we, mothers of young children, want to publicly support the educators and the staff of the childcare centers and ask the government of Quebec to immediately accede to their request in order to settle a conflict that has lasted too long. .