Extra EI leave for multiples
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to amend the Employment Insurance Act to grant extra parental leave weeks and additional EI benefit entitlements per child for parents of multiples. The government responds that EI already offers flexible parental options and sickness/caregiver extensions, and benefits are not indexed to number of children.
Why we would sign this petition
- Reduces immediate financial strain by providing additional weeks or benefits proportional to multiple births, helping families cover higher medical and childcare costs.
- Gives parents more time to manage increased caregiving, supporting maternal recovery and potentially better infant health and development outcomes.
- Treats parents of multiples more equitably compared with parents of separate singleton births and mirrors practices in some jurisdictions.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Would increase program costs and may require trade‑offs elsewhere in EI or taxes to fund higher or additional benefits.
- Adds administrative complexity to EI eligibility and payment rules, risking delays or coverage gaps during implementation.
- Existing EI options and provincial programs can partly address needs; targeted supports or provincial measures might be more efficient than broad EI changes.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Approximately 3% of all births in Canada each year are multiple births, these families face increased medical expenses, childcare costs, and the simultaneous demands of meeting each child’s needs, studies show higher postpartum depression and financial strain; Under the extended 18-month Employment Insurance option, a parent may receive a maximum $417 per week, meaning an eligible parent of three singleton children, taking extended leave for each child, could receive approximately $97,578 in total support; A parent of multiples receives the same maximum $417 per week for one 18-month period, totalling only $32,526 regardless of the number of babies; Parents of singletons receive separate maternity/parental leaves for each child, yet parents of multiples, who each contribute equally to Employment Insurance, receive only one leave period and one benefit despite having multiple newborns; A parent of three singletons may access 234 total weeks of extended parental leave, while a parent of triplet receives only 78 weeks, the current “per pregnancy” rule also prevents both eligible parents of multiples from accessing full Employment Insurance benefits; Multiples significantly increases workload, mothers face heightened health risks including higher rates of cesarean delivery, preterm birth, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stays, postpartum depression, and lactation challenges, along with increased costs for essential equipment and specialized items i.e. double/ triple strollers; and Jurisdictions including Quebec and countries globally already provide additional leave for parents of multiples. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to amend the Employment Insurance Act to provide enhanced leave time and benefits for parents of multiples, reducing financial pressures, supporting improved health and developmental outcomes.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario Signed by Leslie Church The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for sharing their views on the need to support families and notes their request to improve the Employment Insurance program. The Government of Canada recognizes the diverse challenges faced by working parents raising children. Balancing family, work and financial responsibilities is a challenging task for parents, and each family has its own needs. That is why changes were made starting in 2017 to give parents more flexibility in their use of Employment Insurance maternity and parental benefits. These include earlier access to maternity benefits, the choice of standard or extended parental benefits, additional weeks of parental benefits when shared and a forthcoming 15-week shareable adoption benefit. Maternity benefits provide up to 15 weeks of income support to workers who are away from work because they are pregnant or have recently given birth to help them recover from the pregnancy or childbirth. Benefits can start being paid up to 12 weeks before the expected week of birth of the child. The parental benefit is payable to all parents who qualify and is intended to provide temporary income support to care for the new child or children during the 12-to-18-month period immediately following the birth of a child or placement for the purpose of adoption. Parents can choose the parental benefits option that best suits their family needs. Parents can share up to 40 weeks of standard parental benefits or up 69 weeks of parental benefits (paid at a lower rate). It is important to note that these benefits are designed to partially replace the eligible parents’ income while they are on leave of absence from work due to two specific life events – either recovering from pregnancy or childbirth (maternity benefits) or providing care for a newborn or newly adopted child (parental benefits). As such, eligibility requirements and payment of these benefits is not based on the number of children born or adopted, the associated costs related to childcare, or any other specific circumstances related to individual claimants. Regarding the important issue of supports for the health of the pregnant person or the newborns, there are other Employment Insurance benefits which claimants could apply for in addition to supports from other federal and provincial/territorial initiatives on maternal and child health. For example: A claimant who is pregnant may request and be entitled to sickness benefits during the maternity period. Although pregnancy and childbirth are not considered illnesses, complications with respect to either may be. A claimant who still needs support to recover from the pregnancy and childbirth after they have received the full 15 weeks of maternity benefits may also be entitled to sickness benefits (up to 26 weeks). The eligibility period for parental benefits may be extended to allow them to receive these benefits after sickness. In the event a child is hospitalized, the eligibility period for maternity or parental benefits may be extended by one week for every week the child is hospitalized. This provision allows parents to care for their child or children during a period critical to the children's development and the extensions allow flexibility as to when the benefits may be requested. Parents may be eligible for other benefits during the hospitalization period, including caregiving benefits if the child or children becomes critically ill or injured. The Employment Insurance family caregiver benefit for children provides up to 35 weeks of benefits to any Employment Insurance-eligible family member who is providing care or support to a critically ill or injured child under the age of 18. More information on Employment Insurance benefits may be found on the Government of Canada website Employment Insurance benefits - Canada.ca. Claimants can contact Service Canada for advice on their specific situation. Employment Insurance maternity and parental benefits complement other supports to Canadian families, such as the Canada Child Benefit that helps with the cost of raising children. Simplifying and improving the program to ensure that it meets the needs of the Canadian workforce and aligned with modern labour market realities is a priority for the Government. Once again, the Government wishes to thank the petitioners. Their views will be taken into consideration in our ongoing efforts to improve the Employment Insurance program.