Quebec · Operator perspective
Then and now: a Montréal daycare owner on Quebec's universal daycare
Isaac Sachs runs Garderie Ganorly, a subsidized daycare on avenue Van Horne in Montréal, and wrote The Universal Daycare System, a guide to how Quebec's model works. An engineer and former college lecturer in early childhood education, he has designed and built daycares and taken part in provincial policy work. We asked him four questions he first answered in an earlier interview with Preschools4All, to see how his view has changed.
Is universal daycare still the right move?
Now
“Yes. Immigration keeps growing, and newcomers increasingly arrive in groups. We need a systematic way to welcome them into local Canadian life, and the most efficient, peaceful and non-confrontational way to do that is through children and students.”
What are its biggest weaknesses today?
Now
“Waiting lists need to be fair, equitable and managed locally, and subsidized daycares need to be developed effectively. There's also an imbalance. The government has no power over parents: if they don't cooperate with registration, by not showing up or not following the rules, it can't penalize them. But it can always penalize a daycare. It's like a referee facing two uneven teams.”
“It's like a referee facing two uneven teams.”
Can other provinces make it work?
Now
“Yes. Every province, and First Nations, can make it work. According to economists, when Quebec started its system the return was $1.49 for every $1 spent. Parents return to work sooner and start contributing instead of receiving support. Most children start school on the same footing, and dropout rates go down. Provinces that can't afford it at first would be helped by Ottawa, with the financial returns shared accordingly.”
Economist Pierre Fortin's estimate for Quebec's low-fee child care, mainly through taxes paid by parents who returned to work.
Together, that is the $1.49 Isaac cites: about $1.05 back to the Quebec government and $0.44 to the federal government for each public dollar. Source: childcarecanada.org
How does the government make sure children get proper care?
Now
“Regular inspections, especially at licence renewal and whenever a complaint comes in. And the government approves and monitors all spending: detailed expense allocations and ratios, checked every year by chartered accountants approved by each province's daycare ministry.”
Coming next from Isaac Sachs
- Waiting lists
- Children with special needs
- Families on social assistance
Read more
“Then” summarizes Isaac Sachs's answers in his earlier interview with Preschools4All. “Now” answers were given to MapleCub in October 2026 and lightly edited for length and clarity. The views are his own.