Moving Childcare Records from Paper to Digital in Quebec

Quick answer

Moving from paper to digital can make observations, periodic portraits, delivery records and parent communications easier to organize. The right tool does not replace professional judgment or the childcare service’s responsibilities. It should support thoughtful educational practice and responsible personal-information management.

The educational record is a process, not a form

In a CPE, daycare or home childcare service, information accumulates quickly: observations, periodic portraits, authorizations, contact details, communications and administrative documents. The challenge is not only to store these items, but to find and use them when needed.

The Government of Quebec identifies three purposes for the educational record: communicating with parents about their child’s development, supporting early detection of difficulties and facilitating transitions, including the transition to school.

The record is built from daily observations during play, routines and interactions. It documents physical and motor, cognitive, language, and social and emotional development. It is therefore not simply a document completed twice a year, but the outcome of an ongoing process of observation, reflection and communication.

Periodic portraits are completed in May and November and sent to parents no later than June 15 and December 15. The childcare service must keep proof that they were sent. When childcare ends, the original record is given to the parent, while a copy of the record and proof of delivery are kept for one year.

The Ministry allows paper or digital records as long as they comply with the applicable legislation and regulation. The real question is not “paper or screen?” but: which system genuinely helps the team observe, organize, communicate and protect information?

What digital tools can actually improve

A platform designed for early childhood settings can reduce fragmented information. Instead of spreading observations across notebooks, loose sheets, emails and text messages, the team can gather them in a structured environment.

Digital tools can help teams:

• record observations throughout the day;
• retrieve relevant facts when preparing a portrait;
• track when documents were delivered to parents;
• keep communications in a shared channel;
• reduce repeated entry and conflicting versions;
• apply access and retention rules more consistently.

These benefits are not automatic. A poorly configured tool or an unclear process can simply move disorder from a filing cabinet to a screen. The transition should begin with the team’s practices, followed by technology that supports them.

Observe before planning

The Ministry’s guide to preparing the educational record follows a progression from observing the child to preparing the portrait and sharing it with the parent. This reflects the Accueillir la petite enfance educational approach: observe the child’s experiences, reflect on what those observations reveal, plan interventions and adjust support.

The application does not replace the educator

An application does not know the child the way the person who supports them every day does. It should not invent an observation, diagnose a child or determine a level of development.

Its role is to support professional practice: preserve observed facts, organize them by developmental area, make them easier to review and help the team gradually prepare a coherent portrait. Judgment, interpretation and the relationship with the child remain human.

This distinction also protects educational quality. The objective is not to produce the largest possible number of notes, but to preserve useful, descriptive and respectful observations that inform interventions and conversations with families.

More continuous communication with parents

Parents are their child’s first educators. Daily exchanges connect what happens in childcare with what the child experiences at home. A daily summary, observation or photo can give parents a more concrete view of their child’s experiences.

When communication is kept in one place, families can find information more easily. Staff also avoid switching among channels that may have different access and retention practices.

Digital communication should not replace conversation. Quebec’s guidance provides that a parent may request a meeting about the periodic portrait. The platform prepares and supports the exchange; it does not replace the relationship of trust.

Law 25: digital does not automatically mean compliant

A digital document is not automatically more compliant than a paper one. Paper is not automatically safer either. In both cases, the organization must know what information it collects, why it uses it, who may access it, how long it is retained and how it is destroyed.

The Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec states that an organization remains responsible for securely managing personal information from collection through destruction. Once the purposes for which information was collected have been fulfilled, it must be securely destroyed, subject to applicable retention requirements.

Before implementing a platform, a childcare service should clarify:

• who is responsible for protecting personal information;
• the roles and access rights of each team member;
• which information is genuinely necessary;
• retention and destruction rules;
• the procedure for responding to a confidentiality incident;
• training for the people who use the system.

Technology can make these rules easier to apply, but it does not write or enforce them by itself. The childcare service retains its legal and organizational responsibilities.

Note

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Using a digital platform does not, by itself, guarantee compliance with applicable legislation.

A five-step transition plan

1. Map the information you use today

List the documents, observations, authorizations and communications used today. Record where they are stored, who can access them, how they are shared and how long they must be kept.

2. Define roles and access

An educator, manager and parent do not need the same information. Set access according to actual responsibilities instead of giving everyone the same permissions.

3. Prepare the rules before migration

Decide which data should be transferred, which can be destroyed and which retention schedules apply. Avoid digitizing documents indefinitely simply because they already exist.

4. Begin with a pilot

Choose one group, location or specific process. Train the people involved, note friction points and adjust the method before expanding the rollout.

5. Measure the real effect

Compare the situation before and after: time needed to find a document, preparation of portraits, consistency of observations, ease of communication and staff experience. Measurement separates real improvement from a general impression.

How to evaluate a platform for your setting

Ask for a demonstration based on your actual processes. Check how the platform handles observations, portraits, communication, access and retention. Ask what support is available for the team.

A suitable solution should help staff work with less fragmentation without turning early childhood education into a succession of forms. GE Agenda is designed to centralize agendas, attendance, communication, observations and educational follow-ups for Quebec CPEs, daycares and home childcare services.

Official sources

• Educational record of the child — Government of Quebec
• Guide to preparing the educational record — Ministère de la Famille
• Retention and destruction of personal information — Commission d’accès à l’information

Frequently asked questions

Can the educational record be entirely digital?

Yes. The Government of Quebec states that the record can be paper or digital, provided the model and practices comply with the applicable legislation and regulation.

When must periodic portraits be sent?

Portraits are completed in May and November and sent to parents no later than June 15 and December 15. The childcare service must keep proof of delivery.

Can an application write observations instead of the educator?

No. A tool can organize and preserve recorded facts, but observation, professional judgment and the relationship with the child remain the educator’s responsibility.

Does a digital platform guarantee compliance with Law 25?

No. A platform can support access control, traceability and retention, but the childcare service remains responsible for its policies, practices, training and the information life cycle.

What should be measured after the transition?

Compare the time needed to find a document or prepare a portrait, the continuity of observations, the ease of communication and the staff experience.