Childcare in Gatineau: Fees and Finding Care

Choose an admission route that fits your deadline

CPEs and subsidized daycare centres must use Québec’s portal to fill available places. The ministry’s automated process identifies the next child according to admission categories, age eligibility and any applicable priorities. A provider cannot predict which child the system will refer next. Keep a backup arrangement while you wait for an offer. [1]

Non-subsidized daycares and educational home childcare providers can choose children from their applicant pool. You can approach them yourself, but your child must have a portal registration before admission. Ask whether the provider can accommodate your actual start date, days and pickup time before arranging a visit. [1]

Write down your earliest drop-off, latest pickup, required days and acceptable travel time. Include the time you need to leave work and reach the provider. Ask about the language used with children and parents, your child’s support needs and any gradual entry arrangement.

Compare the full written cost

For 2026, eligible parents pay $9.65 per day for subsidized educational childcare. That contribution includes up to 10 consecutive hours, scheduled snacks, a meal or breakfast according to attendance hours, and educational materials. Eligibility requires Québec residence and a qualifying status; confirm your eligibility before budgeting around this contribution. [2]

Subsidized providers can charge specified extras, including certain optional outings, personal hygiene items, additional meals, care beyond 10 hours and late pickup. They need your written consent for additional charges. Ask for an itemized agreement that distinguishes your usual daily bill from charges you might incur on particular days. [2]

Non-subsidized providers set their own fees. Québec describes tax assistance whose value depends on family income and circumstances, and its fee guidance points parents to a net-cost calculator. Compare the amount you must pay the provider with your household’s estimated cost after applicable assistance. Do not assume the same tax outcome for two families. [2]

Visit before accepting the place

Québec advises parents to visit, examine available inspection reports and review the service agreement before committing. Its interactive childcare map includes ministry inspection results from the previous five years for centres and daycares, covering inspections associated with permit renewal or complaints. Use those records alongside your visit. [1]

Meet the educator or home childcare provider and ask who else could have contact with your child. Discuss training, meals, age-appropriate activities and the daily routine. Ask the provider to explain how they would handle your child’s allergies, medication, distress at drop-off or other support needs.

Read the agreement for attendance days and service hours, which Québec identifies as terms to put in writing. Also ask for written answers about closures, absences, payment dates, late pickup and ending the arrangement. Resolve any mismatch between the advertised schedule and the agreement before you sign. [1]

Respond to offers and maintain your application

For CPE and subsidized daycare offers, Québec specifies minimum visit and response periods. After the visit or expiry of the visit period, parents normally have two days to accept or refuse; shorter periods apply when a place must be filled within 15 days of the referral request. Ask the provider to state your exact deadline when it calls. [1]

Refusing an offered place generally removes your child from that provider’s waiting list and loses the accumulated waiting time there, subject to two exceptions described by Québec. Keep your requested hours, provider choices and desired start date accurate. A suspended application preserves waiting time but prevents another referral until you update it to lift the suspension. [1]

Published daily fees for two distinct childcare arrangements

Choose your next step by care arrangement

Your hiring checklist

1. Write down required days, start date, drop-off time and latest pickup.
2. Keep only providers whose location and schedule you could accept.
3. Ask each provider to confirm its admission route and your next step.
4. Visit, meet the caregiver and discuss your child’s specific needs.
5. Request an itemized fee schedule and review the service agreement.
6. Confirm school care and pedagogical-day bookings with your own school.
7. Record offer deadlines and arrange backup care for uncovered days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does all childcare cost $9.65 per day?

No. Québec sets that 2026 contribution for subsidized educational childcare for eligible families. Non-subsidized providers set their own fees. School childcare has separate arrangements; École de la Forêt lists $16.55 for pedagogical-day care in its 2026–2027 instructions. [2] [4]

Can I contact a home childcare provider myself?

Yes. Québec allows educational home childcare providers to choose the children they admit. Your child still needs registration in the provincial portal before admission, and the provider must confirm the admission through it. [1]

Does regular school care guarantee a pedagogical-day place?

Confirm with your school. At École de la Forêt, parents must make a separate attendance confirmation by the emailed deadline. The school can refuse access without it, and its governing board can approve closures on pedagogical days. [4]