441-02094 (Employment and labour)

The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for sharing their views and notes the request to support adoptive and intended parents through Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.

The arrival of a new child is a precious and exciting time for parents. This is equally true for adoptive and intended parents as for biological parents.

On November 21, 2023, the Fall Economic Statement announced that a new 15-week shareable adoption benefit would be introduced in the EI program. This benefit is expected to provide approximately 1,700 Canadian families each year with additional time and flexibility as they welcome a new child in their home. Parents who form their families via surrogacy will also be eligible for this benefit. Bill C-59, An Act to implement certain provisions of the fall economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 21, 2023, and certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 28, 2023, proposes amendments to the EI Act to implement this new benefit, along with corresponding changes to the Canada Labour Code to ensure job-protected leave for employees in the federally regulated private sector.

The new benefit for parents through adoption and surrogacy responds to what the Government heard during its comprehensive consultations on the EI program in 2021 and 2022. It will provide for an equal number of weeks of EI benefits for adoptive and intended parents as for biological parents, making EI benefits more inclusive of the way families are formed.

The Government of Canada recognizes the diverse challenges faced by working parents raising children. Balancing family, work and financial considerations is a challenging task for Canadians raising children, and each family has its own needs. That is why we have made changes since 2017 to give parents more flexibility in their use of EI maternity and parental benefits. These include earlier access to maternity benefits, the choice of standard or extended parental benefits, and additional weeks of parental benefits when shared.

We will continue to ensure that the EI program responds to the needs of today’s workforce, including for adoptive parents. EI is a significant income support program. Introducing a new benefit for adoptive parents needs to align with the implementation of the Government’s other priorities on EI.  

Once again, the government wishes to thank the petitioners. Their views will be taken into consideration in our ongoing efforts to improve the EI program.