Extend Maternity/Parental Leave for Canadians to 18 months

Petition by Toronto Mommies:

While campaigning in 2015 the Liberal Party and their leader, current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, campaigned on the Liberal’s promise to many young families to increase the maternity/parental leave from 12 months to 18 months. Many parents voted Liberal just for that reason and are now planning to hold the new government to their promise!

For many moms who are now on mat leave, the change can’t come too soon!

Here is a link to the Liberal’s promise:https://www.liberal.ca/realchange/more-flexibility-for-parents/

Justin Trudeau promised that:

“We will introduce more flexible parental benefits that will:

allow parents to receive benefits in smaller blocks of time over a period of up to 18 months; and make it possible for parents to take a longer leave – up to 18 months when combined with maternity benefits – at a lower benefit level”

Daycare situation in the province of Ontario and Canada as a whole goes from dire to not ideal. An estimated 20% of our daycare spots are licensed, prices sky-rocket and availability is scarce. Some cities drive young families out just because there is no realistic early childcare solution for their children. Even when a spot is available, the daycare will only accept toddlers from 18 months. Why, then, does our maternity leave end at 12 months? How are the average Canadian young parents expected to go back to work? Who will care for their child? It makes no sense.

Extending maternity/parental leave to 18 month will allow parents to care for their children until they are ready to go to daycare. It will allow for families to survive during this difficult financial period of having a child. It will encourage people to have more children and it will make for better communities and better policy!

“Mr. Prime Minister, please do what you promised and make it easier for us to have children without having to lose our jobs!”