MontrealFor thousands of parents across the province, La Place 0-5 website, Quebec’s sole portal for accessing recognized child-care services, has been a key resource from the moment they learn they’re expecting. But now, daycare registration — along with some of its eligibility criteria — is changing. Replacement portal for La Place 0-5 won’t allow parents to register unborn childrenAatefeh Padidar · CBC News · Posted: Oct 10, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours agoQuebec’s new daycare registry system, once it goes live in November, will no longer allow unborn children to be registered. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)Starting Oct. 16, Quebec’s longtime daycare registration system will shut down in preparation for the launch of a new portal, which the Family Ministry says will make the process fairer, simpler and more transparent. For thousands of parents across the province, La Place 0-5 website, Quebec’s sole portal for accessing recognized child-care services, has been a key resource from the moment they find out they’re expecting.“From the day you have a positive pregnancy test, that’s where you go,” said Marjorie Peyric, communications co-ordinator at Ma place au travail, a parent-led non-profit advocating for access to quality child care in Quebec.“It’s how parents register for subsidized daycare. It’s essential.”But now, daycare registration in Quebec — along with some of its eligibility criteria — is changing.WATCH | What parents need to know:Quebec’s platform for daycare spots is being replaced. Here’s what you need to knowParents and future parents looking for spaces in their local public or subsidized daycares will need to work with a new platform starting in November, although if their children are already born and registered on the old platform, La Place 0-5, their information should be transferred automatically. What’s changing and why? According to the Family Ministry, the new platform, the Portail d’inscription aux services de garde, will bring “more transparency and equity” to how subsidized daycare spots are distributed.Instead of ranking children by the date of registration on the portal, priority will now be based on the child’s desired start date — something the government says better reflects families’ real needs.“We are putting an end to the first-come, first-served approach,” said Family Minister Kateri Champagne Jourdain in a statement.Moreover, only the files of children born before Oct. 16 and waiting for a place will be automatically transferred from La Place 0-5 to the new portal.That’s because Quebec’s new daycare registry system, once it goes live in November, will no longer allow unborn children to be registered. Quebec Family Minister Kateri Champagne Jourdain says the province is moving away from a first-come, first-served approach to relieve pressure on expecting parents. (Radio-Canada)If a parent has already registered their unborn child on La Place 0-5, but the child is not born before Oct. 16, the file will not be transferred to the new portal and the parent will have to reregister after the child’s birth. The portal will launch in three phases. In October, daycares will start setting up their accounts and admissions criteria, and in November, parents will gain access to create or update their profiles. Once the new portal is fully operational in December, parents will be able to see their child’s ranking on the priority list and their chances of receiving a call for a spot quickly.When a daycare centre indicates in the portal that a spot is available, the parents of the next child on the list will be automatically notified by email if they have chosen that facility.Parents skepticalWhile the Family Ministry says the new system will be more transparent and equitable, some remain cautious.Peyric of Ma place au travail said many families aren’t convinced that a new platform will solve the bigger problems with the province’s daycare system.“Parents are asking, ‘Is this really going to change anything?’” she said. “It’s a lot of money to move from one platform to another — but it won’t create new places.”She says there are still more than 30,000 children waiting for a place in daycare, and even if the government creates new spots, the province doesn’t have enough staff. “Real equity is when every child has access to a good, affordable daycare spot when they need it,” she said. Data security is another concern. La Place 0-5 suffered a data breach in 2021, where the personal information of about 5,000 parents and children was stolen.Élise Paradis, from the Regroupement des CPE du Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches, told Radio-Canada that many daycare administrators are also concerned about the transition. “People had gotten used to La Place 0-5. We’ve experienced a lot of changes in recent years, and this is another change to absorb once again,” she said. Paradis added that there are fears the rollout could face the same kind of issues seen with other government digital platforms, such as SAAQclic.Between the closure of La Place 0-5 on Oct. 16 and the launch of the new portal, a two-week gap will prevent parents from registering their children for daycare, as Quebec needs this time to transfer data for 250,000 existing files to the new system.Parents are being advised to update their information on La Place 0-5 now ahead of the blackout. ABOUT THE AUTHORAatefeh Padidar is a journalist with CBC News based in Montreal. You can reach her at aatefeh.padidar@cbc.caWith files from Radio-Canada
Quebecs daycare registry system is changing. Heres how and when you can sign up your child
