Opening a Private Daycare in Quebec (2026): Authorization, Permit and Business Structure
Opening a private daycare in Quebec first requires written authorization from the ministère de la Famille — before any spending —, then a non-subsidized daycare permit whose application fee is $1,918 (from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), non-refundable. Incorporation is not mandatory, but it is the structure chosen by most site-based projects — $497 all-in with Incorp-Québec.
This guide covers the daycare centre (non-subsidized): a commercial space, up to 100 children, a permit from the ministère de la Famille. If you look after children at your home, that falls under the home-based childcare (RSGE) regime — which cannot be incorporated; see the dedicated section below. Economic activity code (CAE) to declare with the Registrar: 8641 (daycares) — see our CAE code lookup tool.
The Ministère de la Famille's written authorization: the mandatory starting point
Before starting any step related to opening a non-subsidized daycare, you must obtain written authorization from the ministère de la Famille (Quebec's Ministry of Family). Anything done beforehand — a signed lease, renovation work, equipment purchases — is at your own expense and risk, with no liability whatsoever on the Ministère's part.
In practical terms:
- The application can be filed at any time, using a form in French sent by email — see the Opening a childcare service page on Québec.ca;
- The review is based on three legal criteria: the project's feasibility, relevance and quality;
- Relevance is assessed by coordinating office territory (TBC — territoire de bureau coordonnateur): the Ministère publishes a dashboard of the supply and demand for spaces, updated monthly. Target a TBC with a shortage of spaces projected over 3 years.
The complete legal framework can be found in the Act respecting educational childcare services and its implementing regulation.
Do you need to incorporate to open a daycare? The honest answer
No — incorporation is not a legal requirement: the law allows a daycare permit to be issued to any person, whether an individual or a corporation. In practice, most site-based projects choose the business corporation, because the scale of the commitments involved (a 5-year lease, renovation work, staff) goes beyond what most people want to carry personally.
The concrete reasons behind this choice:
- Limited liability: the lease of at least 5 years, the renovation contracts and the project's debts are signed by the corporation, not by you personally;
- Investors and partners: the corporation makes it possible to divide up shares — the application form actually requires a profile of the shareholders and their percentage of voting shares;
- Image and continuity: the permit is issued in the name of the holding entity, which survives a change of shareholder.
A corporation applying for a permit must provide additional documents: a copy of the articles of incorporation, a copy of the REQ registration declaration, a certified true copy of the board of directors' resolution authorizing the application — required even with a single director (it lives in your minute book) —, a profile of the directors and shareholders, and a declaration of no impediment (attestation d'absence d'empêchement) for each of them. The name must be registered with the REQ, in French, and the REQ information must match the form: this is a condition of admissibility — see our guide to the Quebec Enterprise Register.
To compare with other structures: business structures and When should you incorporate in Quebec?
Home-based childcare (RSGE): incorporation does not apply
If your project is to look after children at your home, RSGE recognition (as a responsable d'un service de garde éducatif en milieu familial, or home childcare provider) is reserved for "the self-employed individual acting on their own behalf": a business corporation cannot be recognized by a coordinating office. There is no point incorporating for this model.
Capacity is also limited: at most 6 children alone (9 with an assistant), compared with up to 100 at a daycare centre. And as of September 1, 2026, unrecognized paid home childcare is abolished, except for narrow exceptions (at most 2 children, or children who ordinarily live together). Incorporation therefore serves the daycare centre project — the subject of the rest of this guide.
Daycare permit: 2026 costs and requirements
The permit application fee is $1,918 for the period from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 (an amount indexed every April 1) and it is non-refundable, even if the application is refused. The permit is valid for 5 years, renews for $614, and a facility cannot take in more than 100 children.
| Item (2026) | Amount / rule |
|---|---|
| Permit application fee (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027) | $1,918, non-refundable — certified cheque, money order or bank draft payable to the Minister of Finance |
| Permit renewal (every 5 years) | $614 |
| Maximum capacity | 100 children per facility |
| Business name | Registered with the REQ, in French — a condition of admissibility |
| Premises | Title of ownership or a lease of at least 5 years; a layout plan signed and sealed by an architect |
| Fine — operating without a permit | $2,500 to $12,500 |
| Incorporating the corporation with the Registrar | $397 — included in our packages |
| Incorp-Québec — Essential (numbered company, articles of incorporation, initial declaration, government fees included) | $497 all-in |
| Incorp-Québec — Complete (+ official name, government registrations, express service) | $697 all-in |
| Annual rights with the Registrar (recurring) | $106 per year |
For a daycare, the $697 Complete package is often the right choice: an official name in French, registered with the REQ, is precisely a condition of admissibility for your permit application. The full breakdown of incorporation costs can be found in our guide to the cost of incorporating in Quebec.
The 6 steps to open your non-subsidized daycare
The official sequence puts the territory study before everything else, incorporating the company before the application, and renovation work after the written authorization — following it is how you avoid putting a single dollar at risk.
- Study the territory. Check the dashboard of the supply and demand for spaces and target a TBC with a shortage projected over 3 years: this is the relevance criterion that will make or break your file.
- Incorporate your corporation and register it with the REQ. An NEQ, a French name compliant with the Registrar's rules, information identical to that on the application form. This is where Incorp-Québec comes in — see also the steps of an incorporation.
- File the application for non-subsidized spaces and a permit. A form in French sent by email, $1,918 payable to the Minister of Finance and, for a corporation: articles of incorporation, REQ declaration, board resolution, profile of the directors and shareholders, declarations of no impediment.
- Admissibility, then review. An incomplete application must be corrected within 10 business days, or it is rejected. A decision follows within 60 days of the last day of the month the application was received, based on feasibility, relevance and quality.
- Written authorization in hand: prepare the premises. Submit the educational program and the plans signed and sealed by an architect, carry out the renovation work (in accordance with the regulation, the Quebec Construction Code and municipal zoning), then request a site visit from the Ministère.
- Receive the permit and open. The permit is issued in the name of the holder — your corporation — with the maximums per age group. Then: compliant hiring, a business bank account, renewal every 5 years ($614).
Step 2, handled with a form of about 20 minutes
A business corporation incorporated with the Registrar, articles of incorporation prepared and verified, initial declaration included — $497 all-in, the $397 government fee included. The $697 Complete package adds the official French name required for your application's admissibility.
Operating the daycare: ratios, qualified staff and premises
Once you have the permit, three families of rules govern operations: ratios of children to staff (1/5, 1/8, 1/10 depending on age), staff qualification (the 2-out-of-3 rule, with temporary flexibilities) and premises (minimum floor area per child, a 5-year lease). Here they are in figures.
Ratios — one childcare staff member present for:
- 5 children under 18 months;
- 8 children from 18 months to under 4 years;
- 10 children aged 4 and over — and the same ratios apply on outings.
Qualification: the base rule requires 2 out of every 3 childcare staff members to be qualified and present each day (a DEC in early childhood education techniques or a recognized equivalency). Two time-limited flexibilities exist: 1 out of 2 is enough until March 31, 2027, and 1 out of 3 during the first 5 years of a new permit. Every staff member must also hold a first-aid course adapted to early childhood of at least 8 hours (including a severe-allergy component), renewed every 3 years.
Premises: a minimum net floor area of 4 m² per child under 18 months (two separate, adjoining rooms — play and rest — for every 15 infants) and 2.75 m² per child aged 18 months and over (no more than 30 children per room), all in compliance with the regulation, the Quebec Construction Code and municipal zoning.
The business model: free-market rates and the tax credit for parents
A non-subsidized daycare sets its own rates freely and receives no operating subsidy. Its selling point rests on Quebec's refundable tax credit paid to parents: under the 2026 fee schedule, it covers 67% to 78% of eligible expenses, up to a cap of $12,525 per child under 7.
Two honest clarifications:
- Do not count on subsidized spaces. They are only allocated through ministerial calls for projects, currently closed; the 2026 conversion was reserved for permits held for at least 5 years. Build your financial model on free-market rates, not on a hoped-for subsidy.
- The tax credit is paid to the parents, not to the daycare. Under the 2026 fee schedule: 78% for the lowest family incomes, 67% for the highest, with monthly advance payments possible — details on the Revenu Québec website.
The costly pitfalls
The number one pitfall is spending before the written authorization: a lease, renovation work and purchases made beforehand are explicitly at your own expense and risk. The others revolve around the territory, the REQ file, and operating without a permit.
- Signing a lease or starting renovation work before the written authorization: no liability on the Ministère's part if the project is refused — everything is lost;
- Forgetting that the $1,918 is never returned: the fee is cashed as soon as the application is admissible, even if it is refused afterward;
- Choosing a territory that is already well served: rejection on the relevance criterion, no matter how good the project is — check the dashboard before looking for a space;
- Filing a non-compliant REQ file (a name not in French, information inconsistent with the form): 10 business days to correct it, or rejection without review;
- Underestimating the premises: a minimum 5-year lease, mandatory architect's plans, 4 m² per infant with a separate rest room;
- Operating without a permit: a fine of $2,500 to $12,500, and the Ministère can order the children evacuated and the premises closed immediately, at your expense.
FAQ — Opening a Private Daycare in Quebec
Do you need to be incorporated to open a private daycare in Quebec?
No. The permit can be issued to any person, whether an individual or a corporation. Most site-based projects, however, choose the business corporation: limited liability against the 5-year lease, the ability to bring in investors, a professional image. A corporation must provide its articles of incorporation, its REQ declaration and a board of directors' resolution.
How much does the daycare permit cost in 2026?
The application fee is $1,918 for the period from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 (an amount indexed every year), non-refundable even if the application is refused. Renewal, every 5 years, costs $614. Payment is made by certified cheque, money order or bank draft payable to the Minister of Finance.
Can you open a subsidized daycare in 2026?
Not freely: subsidized spaces are only allocated through ministerial calls for projects, currently closed, and the 2026 conversion was reserved for daycares that had held a non-subsidized permit for at least 5 years. The only path open at all times is the non-subsidized daycare, which sets its own rates freely.
Can a home-based daycare be incorporated?
No. Recognition as a person in charge of a home-based educational childcare service (RSGE) is reserved for a self-employed individual acting on their own behalf. A business corporation cannot be recognized. Incorporation serves the daycare centre project, not home-based childcare.
What is the ministère de la Famille's prior written authorization?
It is the authorization you must obtain before starting any step related to opening a non-subsidized daycare: a lease, renovation work or purchases made before that are at your own expense and risk. The project is reviewed against three criteria — feasibility, relevance and quality — with relevance assessed based on the supply and demand of spaces in the targeted territory.
How many children can a daycare take in?
A maximum of 100 children per facility, divided into the age groups listed on the permit. A daycare has only one facility, and a single building cannot house more than two facilities.
What are the educator-to-child ratios in a daycare?
One childcare staff member for every 5 children under 18 months, for every 8 children from 18 months to under 4 years, and for every 10 children aged 4 and over. The same ratios apply during outings.
Must a daycare's staff be qualified?
The base rule requires 2 out of every 3 childcare staff members to be qualified (a DEC in early childhood education techniques or a recognized equivalency). Two flexibilities exist: 1 out of 2 is enough until March 31, 2027, and 1 out of 3 during the first 5 years of a new permit. Every staff member must also hold a first-aid course adapted to early childhood of at least 8 hours, renewed every 3 years.
What are the Ministère's decision timelines?
An incomplete application can be corrected within 10 business days, or it is rejected. A decision is then issued within 60 days of the last day of the month the application was received. There is no official overall deadline until the daycare opens.
Do parents receive financial assistance at a non-subsidized daycare?
Yes. Under Revenu Québec's 2026 fee schedule, the refundable tax credit for childcare expenses covers 67% to 78% of eligible expenses depending on family income, with a cap of $12,525 for a child under 7, and monthly advance payments are possible.
Incorp-Québec is a document preparation service: we prepare and file your incorporation documents with the Registrar. The authorization and permit steps with the ministère de la Famille are carried out by you. No guarantee of authorization or of a permit can be given — those decisions belong to the Ministère.
Ready to structure your daycare project?
The authorization, the territory and the premises depend on the ministère de la Famille — the business structure, on the other hand, depends only on you. A properly incorporated corporation, a French name with the REQ, and a board resolution in order make for a permit file that is admissible the first time. For an overview of the process and our packages: our online incorporation in Quebec page.
Your daycare corporation — $497 all-in
A form of about 20 minutes, articles of incorporation, initial declaration with the REQ and the $397 government fee included. The $697 Complete package includes the official French name — the one the ministère de la Famille requires with the REQ for your application's admissibility.