If you are opening a daycare or CPE in Quebec, your floor plan is not a decoration project.
It is:
- Capacity math (how many spots you can actually license)
- Daily operations (how calm or chaotic your rooms feel)
- Compliance (what gets approved, what gets flagged)
Get the layout right and your centre runs smoother, staff stress drops, and inspections feel way less scary. Get it wrong and you can quietly lose revenue for years because your net play area is too tight, or your room design creates supervision and hygiene issues.
Two official resources to keep open while you plan:
- Règlement sur les services de garde éducatifs à l’enfance (S-4.1.1, r. 2)
- Guide pour l’aménagement d’une installation (Ministère de la Famille)
Step 1: Do the capacity math first (so you do not design yourself into losing a spot)
This is the part that directly affects revenue.
The regulation sets minimum net play area requirements:
- Children under 18 months: 4 m2 per child, and for each 15 children or fewer, the space must be split into at least 2 rooms (one for play, one for rest) with direct visual observation through a glazed opening. See section on "Aire de jeu".
- Children 18 months and older: 2.75 m2 per child, and a single play room cannot count more than 30 children at a time (except special activities). See section on "Aire de jeu".
Owner tip: Big built-in floor cabinets feel professional, but they can reduce usable play area. Less usable play area can mean fewer licensed spots. Do the math before you buy anything large.
Pro sanity tip: If your room only works when everything is perfectly tidy, it is not a real daycare layout. Plan for the real world.
Step 2: Use the 3-zone room plan that makes inspections easier
Inspectors do not care if your theme is "Under the Sea." They care that the room supports hygiene, supervision, and safe movement.
Zone A: The Wet Zone (mess lives here)
Put this zone near sinks. Keep the mess contained.
- Handwashing
- Meals and snacks
- Art and sensory play
- Diapering and cleanup routines
The MFA layout guide also emphasizes washable surfaces. For example, play areas must have smooth, washable wall materials and washable floors, with restrictions on carpet and hard finishes. See the MFA layout guide technical requirements.
Zone B: The Active Zone (controlled chaos)
This is where blocks, dramatic play, and movement happen. It needs open space and clean sightlines.
- Put it central so educators can see it easily
- Define stations with low shelving, not tall cabinets
- Keep traffic lanes clear
Why low shelves matter: they create "boundaries" without creating blind spots. If a shelf can hide a seated toddler, that shelf is too tall or in the wrong spot.
Zone C: The Quiet Zone (your sanity corner)
Reading, calm play, decompression, rest routines. Put it away from the door and away from the active zone.
Owner reality check: If the quiet corner is next to the entrance, it becomes a waiting room. You will feel this every single day.
Step 3: Build sightlines (the "triangle of supervision" test)
Your layout should let educators observe children without constantly walking around furniture.
The regulation and the MFA guide highlight observation requirements, including that play areas must have an observation window that remains clear and placed to allow observation of the whole play area. Regulation: observation window requirement and MFA guide: observation window placement.
Do this simple test on your plan:
- Stand in the "educator positions" (door area, diapering area, main supervision points)
- If you cannot see the full room without walking around tall furniture, fix it now
- Favor wall storage and low islands, not tall mid-room cabinets
Step 4: Use real measurements that inspectors actually check
Here are the measurements and technical rules that matter in Quebec planning because they affect approval, safety, and daily operations.
Infant rooms under 18 months (pouponnières)
Infant room requirements are stricter. The net play area is 4 m2 per child, and the room must be split into separate play and rest rooms with direct visual observation through a glazed opening. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
The MFA guide also summarizes additional infant room obligations, including that the rest room is for rest only, the infant area cannot be used as storage or circulation space, and diapering needs include a reserved, washable change table near a sink and a closed container for soiled diapers. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Owner tip: The infant room is where you win or lose time. If diapering is placed awkwardly, your staff will feel it 50 times a day.
Play area rules that affect room build-outs
Quebec has technical requirements that can impact renovations and leases. For example, the MFA guide details minimum free ceiling height, observation window placement, and requirements that walls and floors be washable, including restrictions on carpet and certain hard floor materials. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Translation for owners: before you sign a lease or start renovations, confirm your space can meet these physical requirements. Otherwise your layout plan is "pretty" but impossible to approve.
18 months and older
For children aged 18 months and older:
- Net play area is 2.75 m2 per child :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- A play room counts for a maximum of 30 children at a time (except special activities) :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Owner tip: If you build one huge "mega room" that could theoretically hold more than 30, you still may not get credit for more than 30 for capacity calculations. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Step 5: Design for cleaning reality (not best-case fantasy)
A layout that is hard to clean becomes a stressful layout. Period.
Use cleaning logic to decide where things go:
- Put messy activities near sinks
- Choose surfaces that can be cleaned and disinfected without degrading
- Avoid porous materials where liquids can soak in
The CDC emphasizes cleaning first and then disinfecting, and provides practical guidance like using a weakened bleach solution for sanitizing certain items when appropriate for the material and manufacturer instructions. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Owner tip: If your nap mats and rest gear are hard to sanitize, you will either replace them early or stress about them daily.
Helpful buying checklist reading for nap mats:
- School Outfitters nap mat guide (good for understanding what to look for and what safety standards they reference) :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Step 6: Storage planning is the hidden capacity lever
Storage is where many new centres accidentally lose capacity.
Remember:
- Large floor storage reduces usable play area
- Reduced play area can reduce your licensed spots
- Losing one spot is not a one-time problem, it is an annual revenue leak
The fix:
- Use wall storage where possible
- Use low shelves that define zones but keep sightlines open
- Keep floors as open as possible in active areas
Competitor benchmark: what Quebec buyers expect to see
If you want a quick sense of how Quebec daycare furniture is usually categorized (and what buyers are used to shopping for), browse a local competitor like Camoli. Use it for category ideas and terminology, not for copying. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
- Camoli Distribution (Quebec daycare and CPE furniture categories)
Bonus: your environment affects educational quality
Quebec also runs an educational quality assessment process. This is not an "inspection," but it reinforces why layout, routines, and environment matter for daily learning and educator effectiveness. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
- Educational quality in childcare establishments (PDF)
Owner takeaway: a well-zoned room reduces conflict, improves transitions, and makes parent tours feel smooth because the room "makes sense" at a glance.
Do not guess. Map it.
A bad layout can reduce your capacity or force expensive rework after feedback. A good layout protects compliance and revenue from day one.
Want a layout plan? Send:
- Your room square footage and ceiling height
- Your age mix (under 18 months vs 18 months and older)
- Your target capacity per room
- A sketch or existing floor plan
We will map a layout that:
- Protects net play area math (4 m2 under 18 months, 2.75 m2 for 18 months and older) :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
- Keeps sightlines clean (observation window requirements and practical supervision) :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
- Builds zones that support cleaning and daily routines :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
CTA: Share your square footage and age mix. We will map a compliant daycare room layout for Quebec and give you a procurement list that actually fits the room.
