ACS Early Childhood Education (RAC)

This program is intended for early childhood educators who have significant experience in a childcare setting and who wish to obtain the qualification required by the Ministère de la Famille.

Two options for completing the RAC process

Depending on your situation, you can choose one of the following options:

1. RAC96 Pathway — up to 96 paid hours

This option is intended for individuals who:

• have significant experience in a childcare setting and do not hold the qualification required by the Ministère de la Famille;
• work in a facility-based educational childcare service, such as a CPE or a subsidized or non-subsidized childcare centre;
• can benefit from release time from their regular work hours to participate in the RAC process.

Up to 96 hours spent completing the RAC process may be paid, in accordance with the terms of the RAC96 program.

2. Regular RAC — free until 2028*

This option is intended for individuals who:

• have significant experience in a childcare setting and do not hold the qualification required by the Ministère de la Famille;
• do not work in a facility-based educational childcare service (CPE or subsidized or non-subsidized childcare centre); or
• work in a facility-based educational childcare service but cannot benefit from release time from their regular work hours to complete the process.

No financial assistance is provided for work hours under this option.

If you would like to explore all the training programs offered in early childhood education, visit our dedicated page: CEGEPs | Early Childhood Education

*Depending on the funding available at each CEGEP. The start and end dates of the free RAC process may therefore vary from one CEGEP to another. Contact the CEGEP of your choice to learn more about the applicable terms and conditions.

To be admitted in a RAC process, you have to meet the admission requirements of the CEGEP you are applying to.

The admission conditions and the inscription procedures may differ from a CEGEP to another.

You should be ready to provide legal documents such as: a birth certificate, a proof of education (high school or cegep diploma, etc), some grade sheets, a comparative evaluation or a foreign degree, a resume, etc.

As for individuals born outside of Canada, you will have to provide a proof of citizenship or permanent residency.

Furthermore, please note that the main steps pursued as part of the process are the same for everybody et always start by an information session, alone or in groups. This information session is provided by the CEGEP. 

To know more about the step of a RAC process, please visit our RAC process page on this web site.