[Mike F]

I found one article looking at the Quebec system in depth.

Originally Posted by Bleeding Red

Of course I will. Try getting a daycare spot in Quebec. $5 and $7 a-day daycare has been 'available' there for years. There are more families on the waiting list then in the daycares

"The Charest government has promised to add 12,000 subsidized places, bringing the total to 200,000 by March, 2006. An estimated 20,000 parents have their children on waiting lists for the coveted spots, although it is hard to know how many have signed up at more than one daycare."

200,000 spots, with (at most) 20,000 on wait lists. That is far from "more families on the waiting list then in the daycares"

Originally Posted by Bleeding Red

and a lot of spots are taken up by families that could easily afford private daycare - why don't they opt for it you may ask, well two reasons - 1. my understanding is that private daycare is not available in QC (happy to be corrected on this) and 2. why pay when you are entitiled to get it for next to nothing.

"The PQ had initially planned to exclude private centres from its subsidized program but backed down in the face of protest. Instead, it barred the way to the creation of new private centres, meaning the proportion of for-profit centres has fallen to 13% from 40% in 1997. The Liberals have since lifted the barrier."

So private daycare has always been available to some extent, and will likely increase.

Yes, it appears that lots of space is taken up by those who could afford better, which is unfortunate, but then they contribute more money to the program IIRC.

From the article it appears the Quebec's system has some flaws, but (1) no daycare program will be flawless, whether public private or a mix, and (2) while Quebec's system is undoubtedly the inspiration, we still don't know how the newly proposed national program will differ in an attempt to improve on it.