AQCPE

What AQCPE does

AQCPE (Association québécoise des centres de la petite enfance) is a non-profit membership association incorporated under Quebec law, headquartered at 7889 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal. It represents more than 80% of Quebec's CPE (Centres de la petite enfance, non-profit childcare centers) and BC (Bureaux coordonnateurs, family-childcare coordinating offices) networks, serving roughly 1,000+ member organizations across all regions of the province. Its mission is universal access to quality educational services for children 0–5, delivered via a 360-degree support model covering legal, financial, HR, pedagogical, health-and-safety, infrastructure, nutrition, communications, and government-relations domains. The organization is governed by a board of directors and employs 57 people (with 80+ specialized professionals cited) including dedicated directors across eight service areas, two co-directeurs généraux par interim (Magali Crevier and Geneviève Blanchard), and a digitized appointment booking system built on Microsoft Bookings.

The core product set centers on the Plateforme 360, an Lära-LMS based training and resource platform exclusive to members, supplemented by specialized proprietary tools including Balise juridique (a legal-vulgarization tool for the Early Childhood Educational Services Act and its two regulations), ALEX (a nature-education framework with self-assessment compass and reference materials), Carrick (a Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon-funded inclusion project for children with special needs), Dis-moi (a video-capsule series on child development co-produced with Ensemble pour l'éducation and funded by Avenir d'enfants), Trousse Raconter le développement de l'enfant, Dossier éducatif de l'enfant, and Le Petit Popotecast (a podcast for responsible adults in childcare). The Mutuelle des CPE is the only workers' compensation insurance pool dedicated to early childhood in Quebec, offering three performance-based tiers (Alignement 9%, Confiance 10%, Maîtrise 7%) with actuarial support from NOVO SST and active board representation on ASSTSAS. Member services are distributed through gated platform access, online expert booking, monthly Agoras, the Focus BC event, the Tournée Diapason regional tour, and an annual Grand Rendez-vous conference.

Revenue flows from annual membership dues paid by CPE and BC organizations, complemented by the Mutuelle des CPE insurance premiums and project grants from foundations such as Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon and Avenir d'enfants. The organization also operates the Blitz 24 infrastructure acceleration service and Bureau d'accélération des projets (BAP) supporting CPEs through the government's Programme de financement des infrastructures (PFI). AQCPE exercises political influence through a 2026 electoral campaign targeting Quebec's main parties (PLQ, CAQ, PQ, QS), using Québec Ministry of the Famille quality data showing CPEs achieve 89% quality standards vs 64% for subsidized private daycares and 53% for non-subsidized private daycares, and 82% educator qualification rates vs 47% and 14% respectively (Vérificateur Général du Québec, 2023).

Name

AQCPE

Legal name

Association québécoise des centres de la petite enfance

Website

https://aqcpe.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AQCPE is a Quebec non-profit membership association representing more than 80% of the province's CPE and BC early-childhood networks, providing comprehensive 360-degree support — legal, financial, HR, pedagogical, health-and-safety, infrastructure, and government-relations services — to 1,000+ member organizations via its Lära-based Plateforme 360 LMS and the specialized Mutuelle des CPE workers' compensation pool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Educational Support Services (61171), Child Care Services (6244), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health, Safety & Sanitation Compliance (incl. food safety) (EDACAKAF), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping Resources (State/NAEYC/Head Start) (EDACAJAN), Training & Credential Compliance Tracking (PD registry alignment) (EDACAKAH)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Childcare association services
• Professional training platform
• Workers compensation mutual
• Early childhood pedagogy

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Annual membership fees from CPE and BC organizations. Members receive comprehensive services including expert consultations, training platform access, representation, and networking opportunities.
2. Mutuelle des CPE insurance premiums: Performance-based workers' compensation insurance pooling for childcare centers. Fees vary by performance tier (Alignement 9%, Confiance 10%, Maîtrise 7%) with additional performance-linked fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

AQCPE is a non-profit membership association that represents more than 80% of Quebec's early childhood Centres de la petite enfance (CPE) and Bureaux coordonnateurs (BC). It sells 360-degree support services to its member organizations, including expert consultations (legal, financial, HR, pedagogical, infrastructure, healthy eating), access to a proprietary LMS (Plateforme 360), specialized resources (Balise juridique, Carrick, ALEX, Dis-moi, Blitz 24), and a workers' compensation mutual (Mutuelle des CPE) dedicated exclusively to early childhood education.

Product overview

AQCPE offers a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on supporting Quebec's CPEs (Centres de la petite enfance) and BCs (Bureaux coordonnateurs) in early childhood education. The core platform is the Plateforme 360, an LMS providing training and professional development, supplemented by specialized sub-brands including La Mutuelle des CPE for workplace safety, Carrick for special needs inclusion, and ALEX for nature-based education. Additional offerings include legal reference tools (Balise Juridique), infrastructure development support (Blitz 24, Bureau d'accélération des projets), pedagogical tools (Dossier éducatif de l'enfant, Trousse Raconter le développement de l'enfant), content series (Dis-moi…, Le Petit Popotecast), and a centralized booking system for expert consultations across 12 service domains. The portfolio functions as a comprehensive 360-degree support ecosystem for early childhood centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carrick: Project supporting inclusion of children with special support needs in early childhood educational services, creating links between different networks (CPE/BC, school, health and social services, family community organizations).
• ALEX (Éducation par la nature)
• Dis-moi...
• Trousse Raconter le développement de l'enfant
• Dossier éducatif de l'enfant

Products and services

• Plateforme 360 A learning management system (LMS) built on the Lära platform that provides exclusive training content, resources, and professional development tools for AQCPE member CPEs and BCs. Content is categorized by staff role (educators, administrators, board members) and training format (self-paced, live, in-person, hybrid).
• Mutuelle des CPE A specialized workplace health and safety mutual for CPEs offering injury management, prevention support, performance classification, and compliance visits. The only mutual dedicated to early childhood education in Quebec, structured in three performance tiers (Alignement, Confiance, Maîtrise) with base management fees tied to occupational health and safety performance scores.
• Carrick An inclusion support project funded by the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon that strengthens networking between CPE/BC, school, health, and social services to better support children with special needs and those in vulnerable situations. Includes training, webinars, national survey data, and a community of practice.
• ALEX (Éducation par la nature) A nature-based education approach and methodology for early childhood services. Includes a reference framework, a self-diagnostic compass tool, thematic fact sheets, videos, training, and a community of practice. Promotes outdoor learning and ecological awareness for children aged 0-5.
• Dis-moi… A series of educational video capsules exploring various aspects of toddler and early childhood development. Topics include emotions, communication, executive functions, play, healthy habits, and motor development. Freely available for parents, educators, and practitioners.
• Trousse : Raconter le développement de l'enfant A comprehensive toolkit with guides and exercises to help childcare staff observe, analyze, and write periodic developmental portraits of children as required by Quebec's childcare regulations. Includes video-based exercises at three difficulty levels for children aged 0-3 and 3-5.
• Dossier éducatif de l'enfant A downloadable template and guide system for creating a child's educational record as required by Quebec's childcare regulations. Available in printable and screen-editable PDF formats in both French and English, covering seven sections including cover page, parental introduction, and periodic developmental portraits.
• Blitz 24 An accelerated infrastructure development support service that aims to help CPEs achieve their place development goals within 24 months. Provides exclusive tools, Excel calculators, webinars, and step-by-step resources covering financing, project management, architecture, and construction.
• Bureau d'accélération des projets (BAP) A project acceleration office helping CPEs navigate the government's Infrastructure Financing Program (PFI). Provides monthly Q&A sessions and support for completing BAP application forms.
• Balise Juridique A legal vulgarization tool for the Loi sur les services de garde éducatifs à l'enfance (Early Childhood Services Act) and its two regulations, designed to help CPE/BC administrators and managers understand and apply childcare legislation.
• Le Petit Popotecast A podcast series available on Balado Québec for RA (responsible adults) and childcare staff, covering topics related to early childhood education.

Quantifiable outcome

• CPE quality standards achievement: 89% vs 64% for subsidized private daycares and 53% for non-subsidized private daycares (2022-2023)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NOVO SSTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActuarial partner collaborating with the Mutuelle des CPE for workers' compensation insurance calculations and risk assessment. NOVO SST provides actuarial expertise supporting the performance-based insurance tiers for childcare centers.
• ASSTSAS (Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail du secteur affaires sociales)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint prevention and safety organization in which Mutuelle des CPE participates on the board of directors. ASSTSAS provides expertise and resources for occupational health and safety in social affairs sector including early childhood education.
• Centre de recherche Azrieli du Chu Sainte-JustineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAQCPE participates in the Azrieli Research Center's Community Advisory Committee at CHU Sainte-Justine, contributing expertise on early childhood development and care.
• INSPQ (Institut national de santé publique du Québec)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutuelle des CPE participates in the 'Pour une maternité sans danger' (Safe Maternity) protocol coordinated by INSPQ for workplace safety during pregnancy.
• Ensemble pour l'éducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of the 'Dis-moi...' video capsule series on early childhood development. This partnership combines scientific content expertise with AQCPE's pedagogical knowledge to create video resources for parents, educators, and childcare professionals.
• Milieux de travail alliés contre la violence conjugaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram initiative where Mutuelle des CPE participates as an allied workplace partner, contributing to workplace violence prevention resources and support for employees experiencing domestic violence.
• RCPE (Regroupements de CPE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional CPE groupings that serve as partners with AQCPE to offer inclusion support services (Carrick) to members across different regions of Quebec. RCPEs are key collaborators in regional mobilization and support delivery.
• AAPPQ (Association des architectes en pratique privée du Québec)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitects association whose client-architect contract template is referenced and annotated by AQCPE for use in Blitz 24 infrastructure development projects.
• Table québécoise sur la saine alimentationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial nutrition table where AQCPE participates in the Early Childhood Food Working Group, contributing expertise on nutrition in childcare settings.
• Ministère de la Famille (MFA)coreOthersProvincial ministry responsible for early childhood education that AQCPE represents its members before, advocates for policy changes, and collaborates on program development including PFI (Programme de financement des infrastructures) for childcare infrastructure.
• MERN (Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts)minorOthersProvincial natural resources ministry whose Infolot application AQCPE recommends for Blitz 24 members to find land and property information for childcare infrastructure development.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• YMCA Canada: National federation operating licensed childcare programs across Canada. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping early childhood services (childcare delivery plus member/community support) but not specializing in the CPE/BC regulatory advocacy niche AQCPE dominates.

Direct peers

• Child Care Aware of America: US national ECE advocacy and resource organization that supports childcare providers and families. Comparable to AQCPE in providing policy advocacy, member services, and quality benchmarking for the regulated childcare sector.
• NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children): US national membership association for early childhood educators. NAEYC is the closest international analog to AQCPE — both serve as the dominant professional association representing regulated ECE providers, deliver training/professional development, and advocate for quality standards with government.

Others

• Beneva: Quebec mutual insurer formed from the merger of La Capitale and SSQ Insurance. Comparable to Mutuelle des CPE as a Quebec-based mutual insurance entity; however, Beneva operates across broader lines of business rather than specializing in early childhood workers' compensation.
• Desjardins Group: Quebec cooperative financial group with a mutual/cooperative ownership structure analogous to AQCPE's OBNL status. Comparable as a Quebec-rooted mutual model serving members with diversified services (insurance, training, advocacy), though operating in financial services rather than ECE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aqcpe
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AQCPE1
• Facebookfacebook.com/aqcpe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aqcpe
• Instagraminstagram.com/aq.cpe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AQCPE