Types of Daycares

There are various kinds of daycares in Quebec. Some daycares only accept children 18 months or older. They may offer full or part-time services, or services with flexible scheduling. They can take in up to 80 children 0 to 5 years old. Daycares are regulated and monitored by the government; however, they can offer different programs and activities.

• Early Childhood Centres / Centre de la petite enfance (CPE)

These non-profit childcare centres provide spaces for a reduced contribution of $9.10 a day.  Two thirds of the board of directors are parents whose children attend the centre. 

McGill has two CPE's: McGill CPE Downtown Campus, and Macdonald Campus Daycare. 

• Private-subsidized Daycares

These for-profit, privately run daycares offer spaces for a reduced contribution of $9.10 a day.  The Student's Society of McGill University (SSMU) runs the SSMU Daycare in the Downtown Campus.

• Private, Non-subsidized Daycares 

These daycares are for-profit and are privately run. A private unsubsidized daycare can set its own rates (usually $35 or more a day). Parents may be entitled to a tax credit based on family income. 

• Home-based Daycares / Milieu familial

These daycares are run by providers in private homes. There may be places available at $9.10 per day. If there are 6 children or fewer, it is not mandatory for the daycare to be recognized by a coordinating office. They can only accept 2 infants (under 18 months.) If there are 7-9 children, the daycare must be recognized by a coordinating office. They can only accept 4 infants. There must be a daycare provider and an assistant on site. 

Registering for Daycare

The Government of Quebec has a centralized waiting list system for ALL subsidized and non-subsidized daycares and childcare centres called LA PLACE 0-5. The McGill CPE childcare centre and the SSMU daycare are included in this list. Parents must create a profile and select the locations they are interested in. When an available space that matches the child's age becomes available, they will receive a notification. Due to high demand and a limited number of spaces, it is strongly recommended that parents start making arrangements as early as 6 months to a year in advance of the desired registration. It is not possible to know how long it will take for a space to become available. To view a map of daycare locations in Montreal, please visit: La Place 0-5's daycare map tool.

Cost of Daycare

Daily fees at a subsidized daycare are $9.10 a day. At an non-subsidized daycare, the daily fees can range from $35 to $60. The Quebec Ministry of Finance has a tool that will calculate the daily cost of daycare after applying provincial and federal tax benefits and deductions. It takes into consideration the parents' income, and the fees at a subsidized or unsubsidized daycare: Daycare Cost Calculator.

Childcare Tax Credits and Benefits

To learn more about claiming a tax credit, qualifying expenses, and obtaining advanced payments, please visit:

Revenue Quebec's Quebec Tax Credits for Childcare Expenses

Canada Revenue Agency's Childcare Expenses and Child Tax Benefit

Employee and Family Assistance Program 

Your EAP offers a personalized approach to helping you. Our specialists can provide you with resources and tools to help you cope with the stress, guilt, and sense of ‘being overwhelmed,’ often associated with caregiving responsibilities. They can also provide a one on-one telephone consultation to assess, identify and locate caregiving services—including provider options, location, current availability and fees—to suit your needs for day-to-day challenges or long-term solutions. Full details here.