'I feel helpless': Ukrainian newscomers denied subsidized daycare in Quebec due to status

When Oleksandra Zhovtiuk chose to settle in Quebec after fleeing her war-torn city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, she said she chose the French province for one reason: its renowned low-cost government daycares.

"Here, I was told they have these $8 daycares per day, so it's like the best option for Canada," said Zhovtiuk, a single mother who lives in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough. 

With three children, ages two, four and seven, she thought, "OK, this I might [be able to] afford," she said. 

After arriving in Quebec in July, Zhovtiuk quickly applied for spots for her two youngest at two local subsidized daycares and got accepted at both. She even got as far as signing an enrolment contract. 

So it came as a shock to Zhovtiuk when both daycares abruptly withdrew the spots, telling her it was due to her newcomer status. 

"They were ready to take my kids, but afterwards I got the call from [administration] … that the government is not [allowing] Ukrainians to put their kids into daycares," she said.

Parents pay $8.70 per child per day in subsidized Quebec daycares. The cost for a spot in a non-subsidized daycare ranges from $35 to $60 per child.

"I'm just very sad about this situation because it just puts me in a corner, it's so expensive … I feel helpless," said Zhovtiuk.

In order to qualify for subsidized daycares in Quebec, parents must be recognized as a refugee or protected person under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. They must also hold a certificate issued under the Quebec Immigration Act.

But despite having travelled to find safety, Ukrainian newcomers who entered Canada under a federal emergency immigration program — created to streamline the immigration process — do not qualify, as they are not considered refugees. 

The program — called Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) — is a three-year temporary visa program, under which newcomers are classified as temporary residents. 

"The CUAET is not a refugee program, as Ukrainians have indicated that they need temporary safe harbour, and many of them intend to return to their home country when it will be safe to do so," reads a statement from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

This means these people can work and study in Canada for three years. However, unlike refugees, they don't have permanent residency and therefore do not have access to the standard suite of services typically offered to people fleeing conflict. 

"We're kind of in the middle, you know, like we are refugees, but we are not refugees here because we have working permit visas and we are not normal citizens," said Zhovtiuk.