1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« This research program examines issues related to work-life balance with the goal of better defining their policy implications. » (p. 1)

Questions/Hypothèses :
« 1) How does the social and economic context in 2006 differ from that in 1971, when maternity benefits were first designed?
(2) Why and how were these benefits introduced in the first place?
(3) What have been the most significant changes in maternity/parental benefits policy over the 30-year history of the program?
(4) What goals do we want the program to achieve in the social and economic context of 2006?
(5) How successfully does our current system achieve these goals, particularly in view of significant recent changes?
(6) Finally, what further changes, if any, might we want to make? » (pp. 2-3)

2. Méthode

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

« In this paper, I will attempt to address, in turn, each of the above questions and so tell a story of cash maternity and parental benefits. The first section of the paper begins the story with an overview of how the social and economic context for families with young children has changed in Canada over the roughly 30 years since maternity benefits were first introduced. I then provide a brief history of Canada’s maternity and parental benefits policy from the inception of maternity benefits in 1971 through to the recent major extension of parental benefits in 2001.1 To make this history of policy change more concrete, in the third section I present calculations of what eight hypothetical new parents would have been eligible to receive in five distinct periods in the program’s history and the Quebec program. In the fourth section I employ time series data from Statistics Canada to show how benefit receipt has evolved over the history of maternity/parental benefits and use microdata to look in more depth at how recent policy changes have affected who receives benefits. This is followed by a review of the empirical literature. I then discuss the program’s changing goals and rationales and evaluate our success over time in achieving these goals. Finally, I offer some suggestions about future directions for maternity and parental benefits in Canada. » (p. 3)