Reached at the Centre de services preventifs a l’enfance on Ste. Catherine St. E. attended by hundreds of children each week, Julien said he’s glad that Quebec is planning long-term support but added past experience has taught him not to expect too much from promises.
“I’ll be happier when I get the money,” said Julien, whose role as a social physician goes beyond his medical clinic’s walls to mobilize the community.
“One in three children are not ready to start school because of developmental problems and we can prevent school dropouts if we can support them properly. We should target these children first,” Julien said.
Programs cut include special summer camps that prepare vulnerable children for school and Ruelle anime, a paved alleyway behind the centre for supervised games that last year ran seven days a week from noon to 8 p.m., providing children with a safe place to play away from drugs, pedophiles and prostitution.

See the full article from “Montreal Gazette”