How to Find Daycare in Québec: Registration and Search Guide

Quick answer

To obtain a place in a CPE, a subsidized or non-subsidized daycare, or a recognized home childcare service, first register your child in Québec’s Childcare Registration Portal, which replaced La Place 0-5.

A child must be born or newly adopted before registration. Create your family file, enter the date when care is genuinely needed, search near home or work, and submit requests only to services where you would realistically accept a place.

Note

Contacting a non-subsidized daycare or home childcare provider directly can also help. The child must still be registered in the portal before admission, and the provider must confirm the admission there.

Open the official portal

Seven steps to find childcare

1. Define your needs

Write down the preferred start date, required days, latest acceptable hours, the child’s age at entry and a realistic travel radius. Search around both home and work or school.

Decide which criteria are essential: facility or home setting, subsidized or non-subsidized space, extended hours, meals, language, transit access and support for particular needs.

2. Create your government portal file

The portal uses Québec’s government authentication service. It lets parents create a family file, find childcare services, submit and track requests, and update information.

Children can no longer be registered before birth. The desired start date should match the family’s real need because it affects ranking for CPEs and subsidized daycares.

3. Apply to several genuinely suitable services

Use the portal map to identify CPEs, daycares and home childcare services in practical areas. Widen the radius gradually instead of selecting services that are too far away.

Apply to several services, but only where you would accept a place. Entering an unrealistically early start date may backfire if a matching offer is later declined.

4. Contact non-subsidized and home providers when relevant

CPE and subsidized daycare spaces follow the centralized process. Non-subsidized daycares and home childcare providers use a customer pool and may contact parents whose children are registered in the portal.

A short, polite call can help confirm age groups, schedules and upcoming needs. Do not send sensitive information through social media or pay fees before checking the service and reviewing the agreement.

5. Keep the file current

Update your address, telephone number, email, schedule and desired start date promptly. Indicate that partial, occasional or temporary care is acceptable only when it truly works for your family.

Open the portal when an email notification arrives. An action may be required and offer-response windows can be short.

6. Visit and verify the service

Visit before accepting whenever possible. For childcare facilities, review available inspection results in the interactive map. Ask about hours, closure dates, gradual integration, meals, outings, educational programming, parent communication, staff stability, extra fees and illness policies.

7. Respond quickly and read the agreement

For a space available in more than 15 days, parents generally have two days after the visit, or after declining the visit, to respond. For a place available within 15 days, the response period may be one day. Review the official referral timelines and monitor calls and email.

Before signing, confirm hours, reserved days, fees, additional charges, closures, cancellation terms and included services.

Choosing a type of childcare

CPE

A CPE is a non-profit organization or cooperative offering reduced-contribution spaces. Its board includes a parent majority.

Subsidized daycare

A subsidized daycare is generally a private provider offering reduced-contribution spaces. Admission follows the centralized portal process.

Non-subsidized daycare

It sets its own fees. Québec tax credits and a federal deduction may reduce the net cost depending on the family’s circumstances. Use the official calculator rather than comparing only the advertised daily fee.

Recognized home childcare

Care is provided in a private residence by a person recognized by a coordinating office. Groups are generally smaller and mixed-age. Most recognized home childcare services are subsidized. Confirm recognized status.

Search tips that protect your position

• Enter the date care is truly needed.
• Apply within areas that work for daily travel.
• Search around home and work.
• Accept partial or temporary options only when viable.
• Keep contact details and requests current.
• Open notifications promptly.
• Do not casually decline an offer matching the needs in the file.

There is no guaranteed shortcut, but an accurate file makes it easier to match a child with an available space.

Understanding the waiting-list indicator

The indicator is available for CPEs and subsidized daycares. It is updated on the first day of each month and compares a child with others in the same age group for a specific service.

Ranking considers priority categories and the desired start date. It is not a promise that a place will be offered by a specific date: age, schedule and the characteristics of the available place must also match.

Non-subsidized daycares and home childcare services use a different process and do not display this indicator.

What to verify before accepting

• The provider appears in the official portal or map.
• Its type and recognized status are clear.
• Available inspection results have been reviewed.
• Opening hours work with the family’s commute.
• Closure and vacation dates are clear.
• Meals, gradual integration and parent communication meet expectations.
• Extra fees and illness policies are explained.
• The agreement clearly covers services, payment and cancellation.

How much does childcare cost?

CPEs and subsidized services offer reduced-contribution spaces. Non-subsidized services set their own fees, while provincial and federal tax measures can reduce the net cost depending on income and family circumstances.

Use Québec’s current official calculator rather than relying only on the advertised daily price.

Official sources

• Childcare Registration Portal
• Admission process — French
• Waiting-list indicator — French
• Referral timelines — French
• Types of childcare — French
• Official cost calculator — French

Sources checked August 11, 2026. Government rules and services may change; Québec.ca takes precedence.

Frequently asked questions

Where should I register my child for daycare in Québec?

Use the Childcare Registration Portal, formerly La Place 0-5. Portal registration is required before admission to a recognized educational childcare service.

Can I register before my baby is born?

No. Under the current rules, only children who are already born or newly adopted can be registered.

Should I call daycares directly?

CPE and subsidized daycare spaces follow the centralized process. Direct contact may help with non-subsidized daycares and home childcare, but the child must still be registered before admission.

How many services can I choose?

Parents can submit several requests. Choose services that genuinely fit the family’s schedule, travel area and preferences.

Does La Place 0-5 still exist?

It has been replaced by Québec’s Childcare Registration Portal.

Why does my child’s rank change?

The indicator is recalculated monthly based on children in the same age group, priority categories, desired start dates and changing requests. It remains an estimate.

What happens if I decline a place?

If the offer matches the needs entered in the file, the child may be removed from that service’s list and lose accumulated seniority, subject to stated exceptions.

How can I verify a daycare?

Check the official map, provider status and available inspection results. Visit the premises and review the service agreement before committing.