Quebec proposes changes to parental benefits, but falls short of promise to adoptive parents

The CAQ government was accused of breaking an election promise after it unveiled proposed changes to Quebec's parental insurance plan.

Bill 51, which would amend laws and regulations around parental insurance and labour standards, was tabled Thursday.

The government says the legislation will improve families' quality of life, encourage work-life balance and make the plan more flexible.

If passed, the number of weeks adoptive parents are entitled to collect benefits would increase to a maximum of 52 weeks.

However, the CAQ had promised during last year's campaign to bring adoptive parents on par with biological parents, who can receive 55 weeks of benefits.

Labour Minister Jean Boulet said he doesn't believe a pledge was broken.

"We've been able to comply with this promise by reducing the gap or the discrepancy between adoptive parents and biological ones," he said.

He explained that according to jurisprudence, a woman who gives birth needs time to deal with the physiological consequences, which is why biological parents are allowed three more weeks of benefits.

But Véronique Hivon, the Parti Québécois' family critic and an adoptive parent herself, said the CAQ is allowing inequality to persist.

She said adopted children should have their parents around for just as long as biological children do, especially because adoptive children often have challenges to deal with once they join their families.

"There is no reason to have two categories of children in Quebec, to have two categories of families in Quebec," Hivon said.

More weeks of benefits

Adoptive parents are currently entitled to 37 weeks of shared benefits. The bill would change that — giving each parent five weeks. If they have to go abroad to complete their adoption, each parent can receive another five weeks.

The two parents then have 32 weeks to share, which brings the total number of available weeks to 42 per parent, or 52 for both parents.

Nothing would change for biological mothers and fathers individually. However, parents who are on the basic plan would be allowed to share four additional weeks of benefits, 36 in total, when both parents take at least 10 weeks of parental or adoption benefits each.

Other proposed changes in the bill include:

• The time period when parental, paternity and adoption benefits can be taken will go from 52 to 78 weeks, or from a year to a year and a half.
• The exemption for collecting a salary in addition to collecting QPIP benefits will be increased.
• For multiple births or the adoption of multiples, each parent will be entitled to three or five extra weeks of benefits each, depending on whether they are on the special or basic plan, respectively. 
• In the event of a child's death, parents will be granted an additional period before benefits end.

The bill must be studied in the National Assembly and go to a parliamentary committee before it is adopted. Some of the measures would be applicable as soon as the law is passed. Others would come into effect for children born after Jan. 1, 2021.