Agir tôt, CLSC, CPE and school: the Quebec map for ages 0–7

Agir tôt, the CLSC, the DI-TSA-DP access desk, the daycare and the school are the main entry points for a young child in Quebec. The steps can overlap, and each service has its own criteria and documents. This is not a required sequence in which every step must be finished in the same order.

Agir tôt: support before a diagnosis

According to the official page, Agir tôt "is intended for children under the age of 7 and their families". It looks for "signs of developmental difficulties" without requiring a diagnosis, and it is "free and offered on a voluntary basis". Contact your CLSC, where "a caseworker will discuss your concerns with you and determine the appropriate service". A professional who knows your child can also refer, with your permission. ¹

The program can include developmental monitoring at the 18-month vaccination visit (the ABCdaire), online questionnaires on several areas of development, then early intervention. These cover areas such as language, sleep, motor, cognitive and social development, parent support, stimulation activities and "collaboration with daycare/school staff", including the transition into kindergarten. ¹

Ask the service directly how it works in your area and how long the wait is.

CLSC and the access desk

The CLSC offers "routine, front-line health and social services", including intake, guidance and referral. According to the cited source, "no medical referral or diagnosis is required" for its psychosocial reception desk or for Info-Social 811. ²

The DI-TSA-DP program covers intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and physical disability (déficience intellectuelle, trouble du spectre de l'autisme, déficience physique). The government page also states that "children with a significant developmental delay and individuals with a social communication disorder are also eligible". Contact "your territorial establishment" to learn how to apply and how needs are assessed. ³

The CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île FAQ is one territorial example. It distinguishes before and after age 5: for young children, a pediatrician referral for assessment is recommended, and you "can also access early stimulation services while awaiting diagnosis"; at 5 and over, "you must contact your doctor and get a referral to have your child evaluated". ⁵ Check how it works in your territory; this is not a universal rule.

Specialized services can include rehabilitation and community support. Family support, such as respite, childcare and occasional help, depends on an assessment of the family's needs. ^{3, 4} Ask which documents are needed: an assessment report, or the professional information available so far. See Decoding the assessment report.

Daycare: telling the AISG and the AEI apart

Integration funding is paid to the eligible childcare service, not directly to the parent. Two programs need to be told apart:

• Allocation pour l'intégration en service de garde (AISG): the disability attestation can be SEH eligibility or a report from a professional recognized by the ministry. SEH approval is therefore not a universal condition for childcare support.
• Allocation exceptionnelle pour l'intégration (AEI): from the 2026-2027 fiscal year it "now replaces" the Mesure exceptionnelle de soutien (MES). "Only expenses related to the remuneration of the person responsible for accompaniment are admissible." The childcare service applies and must obtain written parental consent. The stated conditions include eligibility for the Retraite Québec Supplement for Handicapped Children (SEH) or prior MES eligibility in 2025-2026. ^{6, 7}

Check the official AISG criteria and the AEI criteria before you start. No allowance is automatic.

You can write to the director: "Which allowance could meet our child's needs? Has an application been made? What documents and what consent are needed?"

School: the plan d'intervention and taking part

The plan d'intervention organizes actions with the student, the family and the school team. The steps described are information gathering, planning, implementation and review. ^{8, 9, 10} Section 96.14 of the Education Act provides for the participation of the parents, the staff and the student when able; check the current text of the law for the exact wording.

The cited OPHQ guide describes several options: a regular class with adaptations and support, a special class with partial integration, a special class in a regular school, or a specialized school. Needs and settings can change. Orthopédagogie, psychoéducation, orthophonie and special education can contribute to support, depending on the situation. ⁹

The guide suggests starting to gather information when your child turns 3, and cites a registration period from late January to February, before March 1. Confirm the dates with your school or school service centre; do not treat this date as universal. Ask the daycare for a transition document describing your child's strengths, needs and helpful supports. ⁹

According to the same guide, preschool at 4 and 5 is not compulsory, and there is a right to educational services from age 5 to 18, or until 21 for some students with a disability. Check the conditions and the legal wording that apply to your child. ⁹

A "code de difficulté", such as code 50 associated with autism, is an administrative funding tool. The cited guide mentions that it is gradually being replaced. Ask about its current status; the code does not replace the plan d'intervention.

Overview

Concern → CLSC and Agir tôt → assessment as needed → access desk and family support → relevant financial applications → daycare support → school planning.

This outline is only a guide. Some requests can start in parallel, while others have prerequisites. The SEH is not a required step before any daycare support.

This week

Sources

1. The Agir tôt program (2026) ↩1 ↩2
2. Local community services centre (CLSC) (2026) ↩1
3. Services for persons with a physical or intellectual disability or an autism spectrum disorder (2026) ↩1 ↩2
4. Family Support Program (2026) ↩1
5. Frequently asked questions, ID-ASD-PD (2026) ↩1
6. Allocation exceptionnelle pour l'intégration (2026) ↩1
7. Financial assistance for integrating children with disabilities in childcare services (2026) ↩1
8. Le plan d'intervention au service de la réussite de l'élève, synthèse (PDF) (2004) ↩1
9. Parcours scolaire d'un enfant handicapé, guide pour les parents (PDF) (2025) ↩1 ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
10. The intervention plan (IP) (2026) ↩1