The project aimed at constructing prefabricated early childhood centers (CPE) is progressing well given that several projects are currently being designed.
The first project selected is that of the CPE Passe-Lacets in Saint-Prosper. This is a 52-space project which was announced with great fanfare last June.
The Ministry of Families confirms that 8 projects are being designed for prefabricated CPEs.
Announcements will be made later, in total, nearly 760 places have been created with this model.
Each project is carried out in two stages, namely design and then construction.
Quebec is exploring the possibility of allowing an alternative construction method to the traditional method.
The objective is to reduce construction and completion times for CPE projects.
“The establishment of a catalog to facilitate the reuse of installation models will depend on arrangements to be defined. These will be determined based on the results of the first phase, and comments from manufacturers and CPEs who use these facilities,” the Ministry of Families clarified by email to TVA Nouvelles.
For the Quebec Association of CPEs, the model of prefabricated CPEs remains a way forward for opening places more quickly.
“It’s really a way of doing things that would also allow us to reuse what has already been done as plans. So, making it possible to reduce the period of acceptance of plans which is really a very long step to ratify. By having this formula where we could take over plans that have already been approved, it would really make it possible to reduce the delays for the construction of CPEs,” specifies the deputy general director of public and governmental affairs of the Association québécoise des CPE. (AQCPE), Geneviève Blanchard.
The prefabricated CPE project has had its ups and downs.
Initially, the project was carried out in collaboration with Association québécoise des centers de la petite jeunesse (AQCPE), but Quebec abandoned the project judging the costs too high in September 2023.
However, Quebec has decided to relaunch this initiative in June 2024.
