'I would like the same as a birth parent': Regina family fights for maternity leave equality
A Regina family is asking for the same time to bond with their child as someone with a traditional family.
Marie Schultz and her husband Taylor had planned on starting a family right after they got married, but it didn’t happen easily.
For the last 8 years they tried medication, had multiple miscarriages and tried artificial insemination before one of Marie’s friends from work volunteered to be a surrogate for them.
On July 18, they welcomed their baby boy.
However, Schultz said her time at home with the baby is shorter than others.
In Canada, a four month EI maternity leave is given to the person who gives birth in order to recover. They are also eligible for an eight month parental leave, giving them a covered full year away from work.
Schultz said because she and her husband aren’t the birthing parents, they don’t qualify for the four month maternity leave and are left with just the eight month parental leave.
“We lost three babies through this, eight years is a long time of ups and downs and I just want to spend as much time with him as possible while he is little,” she said.
Schultz added that this is the same case for adoptive parents and same-sex couples.
“A traditional family is not as common as it used to be,” she said. “Families come together in so many different ways and I don’t think the parents should lack that support.”
Two months ago, Schultz wrote a letter to the federal government and Regina—Wascana MP Michael Kram asking for changes to the legislation to allow all families the chance to take a full year off to bond.
On Friday, Kram looked at the letter and said it is something he wants to look into.
“I will certainly be reaching out to all the relevant ministers who are affected by this file and I think that we do need to make some policy changes to better address this type of situation,” he said.
Parliament is currently not in session and won’t be until the fall, so he said right now there isn’t much that can be done.
Time off isn’t the only issue Schultz is dealing with, she’s also struggling to get her name on her baby’s birth certificate.
“It just makes us feel like less parents. I’m not the mother according to the law,” said Schultz.
She said according to Saskatchewan law, the one who gives birth is the mother.
According to Schultz, there is a $5,000 legal agreement with the surrogate, which was put in place before treatment started, that clearly outlines the surrogate is not the mother and explains the custody arrangement after birth.
She added that the legal team at Vital Statistics in Saskatchewan said that’s not good enough and Schultz should hire a lawyer to petition the courts to remove the surrogate’s name from the certificate, with that being quoted at about $4,800.
Schultz is wondering why the original agreement isn’t good enough.
In a statement to CTV News, eHealth Saskatchewan said the name of the mother, which is defined by law as “the woman from whom the child is delivered,” must be included on the registration of live birth and a court order is required to remove a parent’s name from the certificate.
eHealth said the cost of registering the birth, issuing a certificate and changing the registration is $120, plus the fee for a new birth certificate once the changes have been made. eHealth said it could not comment on legal costs that could be related to getting a court order to change the birth certificate.
Schultz has not yet petitioned the province, but says it is on her list to reach out. She said her current focus is to spend time with her baby.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.