‘There’s nothing like it': A unique preschool in Montreal at risk of closing

The Little Red Playhouse preschool in Montreal is at risk of closing.

The Little Red Playhouse has been life-changing for Nadine Van Elslande’s grandson, Jacob. Diagnosed with level three non-speaking autism before the age of three, Jacob always struggled with communication and sensory challenges.

“There was no eye contact before from him and there was no language — even sounds were very minimal," Van Elslande said. “Touching him was difficult too because of sensorial issues. It was heartbreaking.”

After facing rejection and seeing the lack of resources for her grandson, she found the Little Red Playhouse, where she said Jacob thrives.

“There is nothing else like it,” she said.

Through therapy-based programs like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Jacob learned to use a tablet to communicate and demonstrate his abilities in ways they never imagined.

“We know he’s intelligent — he can even do math at a higher level than his peers,” said Van Elslande. “He understands language. He doesn’t speak, but he understands.”

“Without this place, I don’t know what we would have done.”

But the Little Red Playhouse’s future is uncertain.

An anonymous complaint led to an inspection by Quebec’s Family Ministry, which deemed the private preschool illegal because it does not have a permit.

The facility does not fit into any of the province’s existing categories for educational facilities, said Little Red Playhouse founder Sharon McCarry.

‘Exactly why it works’

McCarry knows firsthand how difficult it can be for parents to find proper support for their children with autism. She started the Little Red Playhouse after struggling for years to find a place for her own child following their autism diagnosis.

“I spent a year and a half doing speech and language therapy, and that cost me about $100,000,” she said. “We tried everything — daycares, specialized schools — but we were rejected from all of them.”

She said that each rejection came with the same reason: “He was either labelled as ‘too autistic’ or ‘not autistic enough.”

Frustrated by the lack of resources, she created a space where neurotypical children and those on the spectrum could learn together in an inclusive environment.

Despite the success of the preschool’s model, McCarry said the Family Ministry gave them 30 days to comply with a recommendation to transform the facility into a public daycare.

However, under provincial rules, only 20 per cent of children at a CPE (Centre de la petite enfance) can have special needs, while more than half of the 27 children at the Little Red Playhouse are on the spectrum.

“That’s exactly why it works,” McCarry stressed. “These kids need this kind of environment. And yet, we’ve been operating for 17 years without communication from the ministry — until now, when they tell us we need to change or shut down.”

This is not the first time the preschool has faced such a challenge.

A decade ago, McCarry went to court to fight for the right to operate under an exception to the Child Care Act. She has long advocated for government ministries to work together to create a new licensing model that would allow facilities like hers to exist legally.

“We need a framework so that more families can benefit from the model that we know works,” she said. “It shouldn’t be a fight for parents to access proper care for their children. It should be an option.”

Long waitlists for alternatives

The situation has also gained political attention, with Notre-Dame-de-Grâce MNA Désirée McGraw announcing she will be addressing the media at the Little Red Playhouse alongside fellow MNAs Jennifer Maccarone and Elizabeth Prass on Monday.

As opposition critics for families, social services, and persons living with disabilities or autism spectrum disorder, they are advocating for the preschool to remain open. McGraw called the preschool a “pillar of the community” that has served families across Montreal since 2009 and urged the government to act swiftly to protect its future.

The Family Ministry stated that it was helping affected families find alternative placements, but with long waitlists and limited resources, many parents worry about what will happen next.

Van Elslande said that’s not a solution.

“It’s not enough. They need to let places like this exist. We can’t just accept this,” she said.

With both of Jacob’s parents actively involved in his daily life, the entire family fears what the loss of the Little Red Playhouse will mean for him and other children.

“What can we do? We have to fight this. We won’t stop fighting,” Van Elslande said.

As the Little Red Playhouse community rallies to save the preschool, supporters argue that shutting down a facility that has proven to be effective for children with autism is a step backward.

McCarry remains committed to advocating for change, hoping that a licensing model can be introduced so that more children like Jacob can continue to receive the support they need.