Quebec’s daycare sector faces potential closures after new staffing regulations reduced licensed spaces by 12% in three months. Operators say tougher quotas on educator-child ratios forced cuts. The regulations formally took effect June 1, 2026, producing 400 fewer spots in Montreal alone. Parents report hurrying to secure care as waitlists lengthen or disappear immediately. Some facilities now reduce hours or shut down, leaving families searching for backups. Hundreds of toddlers today share spots in classrooms still operating over capacity. The challenge comes as Quebec City investigators examine a toddler’s fall from a second-floor window at an unlicensed centre last week. No serious injuries were reported in that incident.