In Montérégie, seven out of ten children have the skills they need to start school. This is the finding of an extensive survey of children's development in kindergarten.

This means, however, that nearly 30% of Montérégie children (or 4,550 children) were considered vulnerable, as they did not have all the skills required for full educational and social success, notes the Direction de santé publique de la Montérégie in a press release. 

These are the findings of the Statistical Portrait of the Quebec Survey of Children's Development in Kindergarten 2022 (EQDEM), a survey of 14,400 kindergarten children in the Montérégie region conducted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec. The developmental domains measured were physical health and well-being, social skills, emotional maturity, cognitive and language development, as well as communication skills and general knowledge.

Over the past ten years, the number of children experiencing difficulties in at least one area of development has risen in Montérégie, from 24% to 29%. It has also increased in Quebec.  At present, the proportion of vulnerable children in this administrative region is comparable to that in Quebec.

Who are vulnerable children?

In the region, as elsewhere in Quebec, the proportion of vulnerable children is higher among boys, children who are younger when they start kindergarten, non-French speakers and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Conversely, children who attended a daycare center or participated in the Passe-Partout program before starting kindergarten are less likely to be vulnerable. 

Lifestyle habits and educational success

Another survey of kindergarten parents, conducted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, provides information on the social and family environment, lifestyle habits and parenting practices, and establishes links with children's health and well-being.

According to the Enquête sur le parcours préscolaire des enfants de maternelle (EQPPEM), regular physical activity, sufficient sleep, limited use of screens and time set aside for free play are beneficial for the development of youngsters and the acquisition of skills needed for school entry.

Child development, a public health priority

The Direction de santé publique de la Montérégie has made the optimal development of young children one of its priorities for action over the next few years. Next spring, it will be inviting representatives from the daycare and school environments, health and social services, municipalities and community organizations to review the data from each of the Montérégie territories, with a view to identifying courses of action to support young people's development.