3,000 educators leave daycare centers in Quebec in one year

Educators should be placed there to create daycare spaces for parents without new campuses. However, 2,956 of them left the network in 2021-2022.

Thanks to a source, we obtained data from the annual labor portrait produced last year at the Minister de la Fame. This is the first time such detailed information has been collected.

These data, which do not specify the reasons for these departures, were collected from early childhood centers (CPE), subsidized daycare centers (GS), and nonsubsidized daycare centers (GNS).

A wave of departures

33,296 educators (full-time equivalents) are working in CPE, GS and GNS. So nearly 10% of academics quit within 12 months.

In the field, daycare managers have already seen waves of resignations during the pandemic. Also, in 2021, a study on mobility Appreciate my work About half of educators are considering changing jobs.

” These women are at their wits end, so in many cases, unfortunately, they look for the exit rather than the front door. »

Vacancies and layoffs

While the department has filled 7,040 posts in 2021-2022, as on March 31, 2022, 3,159 posts for educators are still vacant in the province.

And to make matters worse, 1,596 academics were on long-term leave at the same time. This staff shortage has tangible consequences for management and families.

Deterioration and scarcity of services

According to the financial statements, in 2021-2022, 263 CPEs were out of service for at least one day due to educator unavailability. Some facilities were blocked more than once, requiring parents to keep their children home for a total of 404 days.

Labor shortages are forcing day care centers to recruit staff from alternative agencies, putting pressure on their budgets. According to our information, almost half of the companies managing CPEs recorded a deficit in 2021-2022, i.e. 418 out of 900 annual financial statements analyzed.

Quality of services is also an issue related to lack of adequately trained workers.

It is difficult to have enough qualified educators

Of the approximately 3,000 educators who left the network this year, 1,225 were qualified educators. This is an additional difficulty due to the ratios that must be respected.

Generally, two out of three educators must be qualified at a facility. But with the pandemic, the ministry reduced the ratio to one-third. From March 1, 2023, it will increase to one in two and revert to two-thirds on March 1, 2024.

Out of the 7,040 posts filled during the year, 2,990 are qualified academicians and 4,050 are unqualified.

In addition, 71% of childcare services assessed by the Ministry between April 2019 and November 2022 meet the quality threshold considered adequate (89% CPEs, 64% subsidized private daycares and 53% unsubsidized). Regions.

Family Minister Suzanne Roy will be questioned by MPs on Tuesday about her department’s credits.

Photo: The Canadian Press/Jacques Bossinot

Key recruitment and development function

The families minister and the employment minister last year announced an attack to recruit 18,000 new educators, and by 2026 to qualify the 7,000 already in post in the current network.

To achieve this, several financial incentives have been put in place. Qualified academics receive an 18% salary increase after one year at the highest level. For non-qualified academics, it is a 10% increase.

These contracts provide a $450 qualification incentive bonus and a lump sum corresponding to 2% of each hourly rate paid in the 12 months prior to the diploma award date.

Retired academics are also encouraged to return to work in return for a 6.6% salary bonus.

Recruiting and retaining educators is not a challenge unique to Quebec. Last year, child care centers in Ontario faced a wave of resignations.