THE QUEBEC CHILD CARE SYSTEM –LESSONS TO BE LEARED

CHRISTA JAPELUniversité du Québec à Montréal

Dignity for All Campaign Summit Ottawa

March 4th 2011

UNICEF-Innocenti report in 2008: Canada ranked second to last – met only one of the ten important benchmarks for ECEC

Canada lags behind many of its counterparts in the OECD with regard to early childhood development programs

What about Québec ?

Met about 4 benchmarks for ECEC

Parental leave;

Provincial plan with priority for the disadvantages (tax credit and tax reduction, housing, minimum wage);

Subsidized and regulated child care services for 25% of children under 3;

Child poverty rate less than 10%.

Québec

1997 – Implementation of a new family policy

integrated child allowance for young children and newbornsdesigned to gradually replace existing family allowance;

enhanced maternity and parental leave provisions through a new parenal insurance plan (effective as of January 1st 2006);

development of early childhood education and child care services to provide universally accessible programs to fosterchild development, and to gradually introduce skills that children need to succeed at school.

Québec’s family policy

The governement restructered existing programs andreoriented the delivery of public support to families :

monetary assistance was reduced and the focus shifted toin-kind services;

2009/2010 – 37% of the provincial budget for familiesdirect grants to child care services (2,4 billion)

Ministère de la Famille et des AînésMinistère de la Famille, des Aînés et de la Condition féminineMinistère de la Famille, des Aînés et de la Condition féminine

Centres de la petite enfance (CPE) – Early Childhood Centres Centre-based and home-based care Available at a fee of $5/day ($7 since 2003) Objective : available to all children age 0 to 4 in 2000

CPE

Centre-based

CPE

Home-based

For-profit

daycares

Total spaces

Children

(age 0-4)

1997-98 36 606 21 761 23 935 82 302 428 297

1998-99 38 918 32 816 24 964 96 698 412 161

1999-00 44 735 44 882 24 936 114 553 397 971

2000-01 51 570 55 979 25 701 133 250 382 727

2001-02 58 525 62 193 25 882 146 600 373 191

2002-03 67 163 71 365 25 882 164 410 366 619

2003-04 69 672 83 970 30 613 184 255 371 028

2006 75 660 88 545 33 799 202 487 379 658

2007 76 213 88 645 34 095 203 721 389 661

2008 77 405 91 253 35 340 209 827 400 605

2009 77 864 91 582 36 377 212 777* 416 043

Source : Ministère de la Famille et des Aînés, 2010 et Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2010* Includest 6 954 places in for-profit daycares that are regulated but not subsidized

What do we know about Quebec’s What do we know about Quebec’s child care system with respect to child care system with respect to

the QUAD principles?the QUAD principles?

Three surveysThree surveys• You Bet I Care! (2000)You Bet I Care! (2000)

– 234 centre-based groups – 48 in Québec

– 231 family child care settings – 42 in Québec

• Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (2000 - 2003)(2000 - 2003)

– 728 centre-based CPEs

– 337 home-based CPEs

– 296 for-profit daycares

– 179 unregulated home-based settings

• Grandir en qualité (2003)Grandir en qualité (2003)

– 356 centre-based CPEs

– 200 home-based CPEs

– 349 for-profit daycares

ITERS-R • 467 descriptors• 39 items• 7 subscales• for children 0 to 2 1/2 years

ECERS-R• 470 descriptors• 43 items• 7 subscales• for children 2 ½ to 5 years

Scoring

Continuous or by category:

1 - 2.91 - 2.9 = inadequate quality: safety and health risks and no educational component

3 - 4.93 - 4.9 = minimal quality: basic safety and health measures are respected –but educational component is minimal – custodial care

5 - 75 - 7 = good to excellent quality: safety and health measures are respected – developmentally appropriate educational component that fosters children’s global development

Quality scoresQuality scoresYBIC and QLSCD – ITERS, ECERS-R, FDCRS (score 1 -7)

Grandir en qualité – different instrument (score 1- 4)

Survey Total score

YBIC – ITERS (N=16) 3.6

YBIC – ECERS-R (N=32) 4.7

QLSCD – ECERS-R CPE (N=728) 4.6

QLSCD – ECERS-R For-profit (N=296) 3.7

YBIC – FDCRS (N=42) 4.5

QLSCD – FDCRS Home-based CPE (N=337) 4.4

QLSCD – FDCRS Unregulated home-based (N=179) 3.6

Grandir en qualité CPE (0 to 18 months) (N=128) 3.05

Grandir en qualité CPE (18 monts- 5 years) (N=228) 2.93

Grandir en qualité For-profit daycares (0 to 18 months) (N=124) 2.62

Grandir en qualité For-profit daycares (18 monts- 5 years) (N=225) 2.58

Grandir en qualité Home-based CPE (N=200) 2.75

ÉLDEQ - QLSCDQuébec Longitudinal Study of Child Development

2 223 children born in 1997/98

representative provincial sample

annual evaluations since 1998

first evaluation at age 5 months

daycare visits started at age 2 ½

presently in secondary 1

Quality of child care settings evaluatedQuality of child care settings evaluatedfrom 2000 to 2003 from 2000 to 2003

(N = 1574)(N = 1574)

13

61

26

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Inadequate1 à 2,9

Minimal3 à 4,9

Good5,0 and up

Quality of child care services (N = 1538)Total score ECERS and FDCRS

34.7

5.8

14.2

27.128.5

6.89.5

25.7

0

10

20

30

40

NP FP Reg. Non reg. NP FP Reg. Non reg.

Centre Family Centre Family

Good to excellentGood to excellent PoorPoor

Has overall quality improved since 2003?Has overall quality improved since 2003?

More than 200 observations of infant and toddler groups (0 to 2 ½ years)

About 300 observation of preschool age children (2 ½ - 5 years)

123456

7

3.072.41

3.72

2.66

4.343.87 3.88

1234567

3.42.69

3.612.83

4.06 3.84 3.88

Data from ongoing quality improvement projets in CPEs (Japel, 2004)

UNIVERSALITY UNIVERSALITY

AND ACCESSIBILITYAND ACCESSIBILITY

Québec’s Family Policy implemented in 1997 : Québec’s Family Policy implemented in 1997 : Early Childhood CentresEarly Childhood Centres

« These services designed for children age 5 and younger should permit all children, independant of their parents’ status, to acquire and to develop the skills and abilities which are necessary to succeed in school »

Mean socioeconomic status of parents and Mean socioeconomic status of parents and

regular use of child careregular use of child care

-0.5

-0.4

-0.3

-0.2

-0.1

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5 1.5 2.5 3.5 4 5

yesno

Age

Children in settings of poor quality according to family SES

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4

Low High

Socioeconomic status (Quartiles)

Does quality vary according to the family’s socioeconomic status and the type of service?

Type of service Quartile

1

Quartile

4

Sign.

Centre-based

non profit

4.54 4.61 n.s.

Family-based

regulated

4.11 4.60 p<0.01

Centre-based

for profit

3.42 3.94 p<0.01

Family-based

non regulated

3.05 4.02 p<0.001

Conclusions :Conclusions :• Quebec has the highest number of regulated child care Quebec has the highest number of regulated child care spaces in Canada (37 % of all regulated spaces in 2008)spaces in Canada (37 % of all regulated spaces in 2008)

• Over the past ten years – sharp rise in the number of Over the past ten years – sharp rise in the number of children in regulated carechildren in regulated care

• Some evidence of child care attendance having Some evidence of child care attendance having beneficial effects on children’s behavior and cognitive beneficial effects on children’s behavior and cognitive development (Côté et al., 2007; Japel, 2008)development (Côté et al., 2007; Japel, 2008)

• Impact on demographic profile - increase in birth rate Impact on demographic profile - increase in birth rate over the past five yearsover the past five years

• Labour force participation of mothers increased Labour force participation of mothers increased significantly – surpassed ROCsignificantly – surpassed ROC

Lessons to be learned :Lessons to be learned :•Child care quality is minimal overallChild care quality is minimal overall

•Changes to funding and structure of the child care Changes to funding and structure of the child care network – fee increase, budgetary restrictions, claw-network – fee increase, budgetary restrictions, claw-back of surplus, restructuring of home-based sectorback of surplus, restructuring of home-based sector have led to overall decrease in qualityhave led to overall decrease in quality

• Non profit centre-based and regulated family-based Non profit centre-based and regulated family-based child care services are generally of higher quality child care services are generally of higher quality than for profit or unregulated servicesthan for profit or unregulated services

• Half of the children attending child care in Quebec Half of the children attending child care in Quebec are in home-based settings with minimal staff are in home-based settings with minimal staff qualificationsqualifications

Lessons to be learned - continued:Lessons to be learned - continued:•Only about half of pre-school age children have access to regulated and subsidized care (more than 75% of mothers in labour force) - long waiting lists

•Vulnerable children (socioeconomically disadvantaged and more at risk of school failure) are less likely to attend child care services

•If they attend child care services, they are more likely to attend services of poor quality

Recommandations… Recommandations… with the best interest of children in mindwith the best interest of children in mind

• Limit expansion of for-profit and home-based sector

• Set aside more spaces for vulnerable children

• Offer flexible part-time attendance; accomodate parents with atypical work schedules

• Government leadership in improving quality (regulations that promote child development - staff training, ratios, space, curriculum)

• Ongoing evaluation and assessment

Quebec has laid the groundwork for an important social structure that is beneficial to children and their families.

• Work in progress

The development and maintenance of a network of high-quality child care services requires:

• a large investment of public funds

• policies that promote a global and long-term perspective on human development

Brain Development

Public Spending*

Public Spending & Brain Research: The DisconnectPublic Spending & Brain Research: The Disconnect

Source : The RAND Corporation

Helping the next generation break the cycle of poverty starts by giving young children

a better start in life.

Quality Early Learning INCREASES

Success in SchoolGraduation RatesWorkforce ReadinessJob ProductivityCommunity Engagement

Quality Early Learning REDUCES

Crime RatesTeenage PregnancyWelfare DependencyJob Training CostsSpecial Education CostGrade Repetition

High/Scope Perry Preschool Research

Investments in children bring a higher rate of return than investments in low-skill adults

(James Heckman)

MERCI BEAUCOUP