Some Quebec parents want to pay more for day care

A group of Quebec parents is launching a legal battle to gain the right to pay more than $7 a day for subsidized day care.

The parents, who send their children to private, subsidized care facilities, want the right to pay for extra services and activities.

They're asking a Quebec court to issue a legal declaration on the province's new daycare laws, which cap at $7 per day the amount private, subsidized daycares can charge.

Quebec amended its daycare law in September to harmonize costs in private, subsidized facilities with public centres.

Quebec's daycare law does not explicitly exclude the right to pay more, said Montreal lawyer Julius Grey, who is representing the parents.

"[The law] does not prevent additional charges, so long as a person who doesn't want to pay [more] can have a basic, decent service at $7."

Grey says Quebec is misinterpreting its own day-care law by preventing some parents with the means to pay for enhanced services and activities, such as yoga, outings and singing lessons.

Until the law was changed, some parents were paying $20 a day for private subsidized care.