Employment Insurance Benefit for Adoptive Parents

(August 14, 2008). The ACC is currently helping challenge the Government of Canada to recognize that adoptive parents, while perhaps not giving birth to a child, have significant parallel issues that are equivalent to those of the parent who has had a child by way of birth.

Here is the issue: Currently, 35 weeks of EI benefits for parental leave are accessible to adoptive parents however; the 15 weeks designated to the maternity benefit plan is not available to those who become parents through adoption rather than birth. 

We encourage you to read the following document, prepared by ACC Director and Executive Director of the Adoption Support Centre of Saskatchewan, Cindy Haftner: EI Benefits and Adoptive Parents.

We also strongly encourage you to write a letter to your Member of Parliament urging them to bring forth equality for adoptive parents and their children. Please feel free to use the following as your template: Sample Letter to your Member of Parliament and you may search for Your Honourable Member of Parliament online at:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC

Together, we believe that we can make a difference in lives of adoptive families.

Sincerely yours,

The Adoption Council of Canada

Note: Additional information is also available via the Sunrise Adoption website: http://www.sunriseadoption.com/adoptive_parents/news/adoption_and_the_workplace