August 7, 2012 - Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced a proposed new Employment Insurance (EI) special benefit for parents who take time off work to care for their critically ill or injured children.

“Many parents face enormous emotional and financial challenges when caring for a child with a life threatening illness or injury, and we want to make it easier on them”, said Prime Minister Harper. “Parents play a vital role in a child’s recovery, and the new EI benefit announced today will help ease their financial pressure so they can focus on what’s important, their families.” 

Parents who must take time off work to care for a child who has a life threatening illness or injury would be able to apply for up to 35 weeks of this new EI special benefit. 

The special benefit is part of the Government of Canada’s continued action to help parents balance work and family responsibilities. Other EI measures include: expanding eligibility for compassionate care benefits; allowing self-employed workers to opt into the EI program to receive maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits, as well as this new special benefit; and improving access to EI parental benefits for military and foster families.

The new EI special benefit for parents of critically ill children is expected to be available in June 2013 and will help an estimated 6,000 families per year.

 Backgrounder

The Government of Canada is committed to supporting parents and families. To this end, on August 7, 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a proposed new Employment Insurance (EI) special benefit for parents of critically ill children.  

The Government recognizes the emotional and financial challenges faced by parents when a child has a life-threatening illness or injury and the vital role parents play in a child’s recovery. Once implemented, this new EI special benefit will provide income support for up to 35 weeks to parents or legal guardians of minor children (under 18 years of age) with a life-threatening illness or injury. 

As with other EI special benefits, applicants (parents or legal guardians) will need to have worked a minimum of 600 hours in the last year and take leave from their employment. Self-employed workers who have opted into the EI program will need to have earned income in the previous calendar year ($6,222 in 2012) to be eligible for the benefit. All applicants will also need to submit a medical certificate signed by a Canadian-certified pediatrician or medical specialist. 

Benefits may be combined with other benefits, such as the compassionate care benefit and parental benefit, or shared between parents and may also be used at any time within a 52-week period. Benefits will end once the maximum of 35 weeks of benefits have been paid, the 52-week benefit period ends, once the child’s condition improves or in the unfortunate event that the child passes away.

For the purposes of this new special benefit, a critically ill child is defined as one who has a life-threatening illness or injury for which continued parental care or support is required. 

The new EI special benefit for parents of critically ill children is expected to be available in June 2013 and will help an estimated 6,000 families per year.

Other Government support for parents

This new measure is part of the Government’s continued action to help parents balance work and family responsibilities. Other recently introduced measures to support parents are as follows: 

• A new federal income support for parents of murdered or missing children will take effect January 1, 2013.
• Foster parents who commit to adopt the foster children in their care can now receive EI parental benefits sooner. 
• Self-employed Canadians who opt into the EI program can now receive maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits, in addition to the new EI special benefit.
• Military families now have improved access to EI parental benefits. Members of the Canadian Forces who are ordered to return to duty while on parental leave, or whose parental leave is deferred as a result of an imperative military requirement, now have a window of up to 104 weeks following their child’s birth or adoption in which to access part or all of their 35 weeks of EI parental benefits. 
• Eligibility for the compassionate care benefit was extended to include additional family members and others considered as “family” by the person who is gravely ill. 
• Assistance is also provided to parents through the Canada Child Tax Benefit and the Universal Child Care Benefit.

July 24, 2012 - Thanks to an investment from the Government of Canada, the City of Hamilton will have the opportunity to hold War of 1812 commemorative activities that will pay tribute to the city's heritage and boost local tourism.This was announced today by David Sweet, MP (ADFW), on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

With this support, the City of Hamilton plans to commemorate the soldiers who fell during the Battle of Stoney Creek. The City will re-inter the remains that were discovered on municipal lands into a crypt at the Smith's Knoll Battlefield Cemetery, and the surrounding grounds will be landscaped to include interpretive stone pathways. Once this is complete, the City will host a commemorative event to honour these soldiers and give them a proper burial.

"Canada as we know it today would not exist had the British troops, Canadian militia, and First Nations and Métis allies not joined together to defend our borders," said Minister Moore. "The 200^th anniversary of their fight for Canada is an unprecedented opportunity for all Canadians to learn more about this important part of our past and to take part in many of the activities and events that will pay tribute to these heroes."

"We are proud to help commemorate the defining moments in our history—including the history that took place in our own backyard with the Battle of Stoney Creek—and to tell the story of the Canada we know today," said Mr. Sweet. "I invite everyone from the Hamilton area and from across Ontario to join us in commemorating the heroic efforts of our ancestors."

"Smith's Knoll was the site of the most desperate fighting during the Battle of Stoney Creek in 1813. It is fitting that this is the site where we commemorate those who fell in the battle and where we remember the horror of war and the value of peace," said Anna Bradford, Director of the Tourism and Culture Division, City of Hamilton. "We thank the Government of Canada for their support of this project."

The Government of Canada has provided funding of $130,300 over two years through Canadian Heritage's War of 1812 Commemoration Fund. The Fund supports community-based projects to foster greater awareness and understanding of the importance of this conflict.

Visit 1812.gc.ca to learn more about the 200^th anniversary of the War of 1812.