Canada News
Ottawa must do more to help parents of children with disabilities
While this reduces some costs, it doesn’t provide steady and consistent aid for families with dependents who have disabilities. (Pexels Photo)
Despite the introduction of the federal disability inclusion action plan in 2022, current laws and job protections fail to provide adequate support for parents of children with disabilities in Canada.
Around 13 per cent of children aged five to 17 have a disability. Nearly 32 per cent of children with disabilities are identified by their parents as having emotional, psychological or behavioural conditions that limit their activities.
These limitations are bound to impact the daily lives of their parents, including their employment, making it critical to change policies to help them.
We recommend the federal government act in three areas:
- Improve monetary benefits to these families by providing consistent and reliable financial assistance through monthly payments, specific grants and the improvement of existing programs.
- Enhance flexibility in parental leave, allowing for leave days to be stored for a later date or extended to accommodate unique circumstances.
- Extend these services beyond the age of 18 for children with disabilities who continue to live with their parents and recognize the ongoing care needs that these families provide.
In terms of national policies, Canada has two main disability benefits, the child disability benefit and the disability tax credit. The former is a tax-free payment of up to $3,173 annually for a child under the age of 18 who qualifies for the latter, which is a non-refundable tax deduction from the annual income tax their parents pay.
While this reduces some costs, it doesn’t provide steady and consistent aid for families with dependents who have disabilities.
In fact, many government financial services, such as the Ontario special services at home program, have been described as an added cost, burden and stress, rather than a help. Parents of children with disabilities get the same parental leave as other Canadians under the federal employment insurance (EI) program – a maximum of 15 weeks of maternity benefits, plus either standard parental leave (up to 35 weeks, up to $668 a week) or extended parental leave (up to 61 weeks, up to $401 a week.)
The EI program does not allow parents to bank any of this time for use later in a child’s life. Quebec’s separate program allows parents to bank up to 10 days, which they can they can use when needed.
This is particularly important for parents of children with disabilities who may need these days later as their child grows older due to additional appointments, a lack of appropriate care or increased illness due to a weakened immune system.
Parental leave needs an overhaul
Parental leave benefits need to be more practical and equitable
In addition, unless they have generous employers or union contract benefits, these parents often don’t have paid time off for medical leaves related to their children and are not protected at work if they are unable to give advance notice of the need to take time off.
The situation is especially dire considering that many parents cannot keep their jobs when their medically complex children are born. Of those who keep their jobs, about 38 per cent are forced to reduce their working hours.
While there are some policies aimed at supporting adults with disabilities, they are not designed with families in mind and fail to provide adequate support in all cases, such as the abrupt end of financial and other support for parents when a child turns 18.
We recommend the following modifications and expansions of Canada’s current support systems for families with children with disabilities.
1. Increase monetary benefits
There should be consistent, reliable and effective financial assistance for parents of children with disabilities.
In Germany, people with disabilities that limit work are entitled to an average of $13,119 per year, compared to a maximum of $3,173 In Canada. There are additional housing benefits, transportation compensation and home renovation grants available to the parents of children with disabilities in Germany, but not in Canada.
Ottawa should increase funding for existing programs such as the child disability benefit and the disability tax credit to provide a more livable stream of income for these children and their parents.
Additionally, there should be investments in better financial support systems, similar to Germany’s housing, transportation and other substantial aid. This can lead to improved outcomes for individuals with disabilities, reduced reliance on costly interventions in the future and enhanced overall societal well-being.
2. Make parental leave more flexible
In Sweden, parental leave is taken in days rather than weeks and this time can be used in many ways until a child turns 12. The federal government should follow suit.
3. Support for parents must extend past the child’s 18th birthday
Parent caregivers of adult children must be allocated the same support as parents with younger children because many adults with disabilities continue relying on their parents.
The federal government can learn from Quebec and other countries and should take proactive steps now to overhaul its approach to supporting parents who have children with disabilities.
This article first appeared on Policy Options and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
