Choosing a daycare is one of the hardest decisions a parent makes — and in Quebec, where spots are scarce, it’s tempting to take the first one offered. But a visit and a few good questions tell you a lot. Here’s a practical checklist, grounded in the dimensions Quebec actually uses to evaluate educational quality.
Before you visit: check the official results
Look up the service on the Ministère de la Famille’s interactive map. You can see its educational quality evaluation results and any inspection information. Treat it as one input among several — it’s a snapshot, not the whole story. For context on what these results mean province-wide, see what the Auditor General found.
Questions about interactions
The single biggest driver of quality is how educators interact with children.
- How do educators comfort a child who is upset?
- How do you support language and learning during everyday moments?
- How long do educators typically stay? (High turnover hurts continuity.)
Questions about staffing and ratios
- What is the ratio of children to educators in my child’s group?
- How many educators are qualified (trained in early childhood)?
- Who covers breaks, absences, and vacations?
This matters: across Quebec, the share of daycares missing the target qualified- educator ratio has risen sharply — a trend linked to the educator shortage.
Questions about the program and the day
- Is there a written educational program? Can I see a sample daily schedule?
- How is outdoor time, rest, and meals handled?
- How do you adapt activities for different ages and needs?
Questions about communication
- How will I hear about my child’s day — and how often?
- Do you share photos, and how is consent handled?
- How do I reach my child’s educator with a question?
Strong daily communication is both a quality signal and a trust builder. See building parent trust and daycare–parent communication.
Questions about safety and health
- How are medications stored and administered?
- How are allergies and emergencies handled?
- How do you manage sign-in and sign-out?
Red flags
- Vague or defensive answers about ratios or qualifications.
- No written program or daily routine.
- No clear way to communicate with educators.
- Reluctance to let you see the spaces where children spend the day.
In short
Official results plus a thoughtful visit beat a rushed decision. Ask about interactions, ratios, the program, communication, and safety — and trust what you observe. Many of the best centres use simple tools to keep families informed every day; that’s the kind of transparency worth looking for.
See also: how quality is evaluated · what the Auditor General found · the educator shortage.
