Section 1: Navigating the birth or the adoption of a child

View the most recent version.

Over 3 million Canadians have experienced the birth or the adoption of a child between 2001 and 2006
The use of formal support services during a pregnancy or after the birth or adoption of a child has increased since 2001
Parents with more education as well as first-time parents are more likely to have sought formal support services
Many parents report not requesting formal support services during pregnancy or after the birth or adoption because they maintain that they did not need any help
More fathers are taking time off from work for the birth or adoption of a child
Financial reasons and working conditions are important reasons accounting for why some parents do not take leave for the birth or adoption of a child
The large majority of mothers take maternity leave, whereas fathers take annual or parental leave
Fathers are more likely to return to work after taking time off for a birth or adoption
Mothers take time off from work for a longer period of time than fathers after a pregnancy or an adoption
Financial reasons are an important factor in the decision to return to work after a birth or adoption
The large majority of parents report that they are satisfied with the transition between leave and return to work
The transition is more stressful for mothers
Financial reasons are an important factor in the decision to return to work following a birth or adoption
Summary

Since the early 1960s, a decline has been observed in the number of children that families tend to have. This decline stems from many social and economic changes that are generating a new context: generalized education, secularization, availability of contraception, the declining popularity of marriage, increased conjugal instability, women's increased participation in the labour market. Women's professional lives have ceased to be a short-term activity preceding marriage and maternity. Often, difficult choices must be made between starting a family and pursuing an enriching career. Despite these concerns, almost all couples continue to embrace parenthood.

Becoming a parent is a big step that dramatically changes one's life. Whether it involves a birth or an adoption, this event is accompanied by significant sources of stress and a number of administrative undertakings. How much time does a parent have to care for the child? What steps must be taken with their employer? What opportunities for leave do parents have to allow them to spend more time with the child?

The idea that balancing work and family involves men as much as it does women in the labour market has gained ground. New measures have been designed to help safeguard the parental experience. During the last decade, numerous measures were implemented to allow prospective working parents to rearrange their work schedules and establish an environment conducive to the arrival of a child: maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave, or other leave.

This section focuses on persons who had or adopted a child between 2001 and 2006. This group has elicited growing interest given the increased participation of mothers in the workforce who have young children and the fact that fertility is stabilized at a relatively low level. This section will shed light on programs and services dispensed by various governmental and institutional authorities and put in place to support the parental experience. First, it will examine the use of formal support services related to the arrival of a child. What is the profile of parents receiving formal support services? What services do the parents use and were these services useful?

Next, it will look at whether or not parents take leave from work for a pregnancy or an adoption . Are men and women likely to have equal access to parental leave? Do parents stay home longer to take care of their young children? In sum, various personal and family characteristics will be examined.

Over 3 million persons have experienced a birth or an adoption between 2001 and 2006

During the 1990s, the number of births declined from year to year in Canada. This reduction in births is partly due to an aging population as the large baby boom generations gradually move beyond their reproductive years. The drop is also due to changes in the fertility behaviours of the Canadian population. For several years now, similar to what we have observed in many industrialized countries, the fertility of canadians women has been delayed the average age of women giving birth is increasing, having reached 29.7 years in 2004 (Statistics Canada, 2006). The fertility of young women (under the age of 30) is decreasing, whereas that of women aged 30 or older is slightly on the rise (Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2005). These statistics show that women tend to finish their schooling and themselves on the labour market before raising children.

Since the third millennium, however, the number of births is on the rise in Canada. A few factors could explain this slight increase: the timely impact of new policies to help families and the number of women at an age of peak fertility. The change in the age structure does, in fact, favour a slight increase in the number of births. While the size of the 20 to 24 and 35 to 39 age groups is decreasing, the 25 to 34 age group (where two-thirds of births occur) has been increasing for a few years.

According to recent the GSS, over 3.2 million¹ parents aged 15 or over had or adopted a child between 2001 and 2006. This proportion represents 12% of the Canadian population. For nearly 40% of these parents, this was their first experience of parenthood. For others, the period from 2001 to 2006 in fulfilling their fertility intentions: 31% had had or adopted more than one child during this period.

From 2001 to 2006, more than 9 out of 10 children were born or adopted into a union. For the majority of provinces, marriage was the most common type of union in which to have or adopt a child. Not surprisingly, Quebec is the exception: according to the GSS, more than half of these children (53%) were born or adopted into a common-law union whereas elsewhere in Canada, this was the case for only 12% of the children (Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2005).

The use of formal support services during a pregnancy or after the birth or adoption of a child has increased since 2001

Even if today's parents are increasingly inundated with information about the arrival of a child, parents want what is best for their children, to give them the best possible start in life. A variety of services and information, whose central objective is to help with the child's development, is offered to parents. There are pre-natal services designed to help parents prepare, increase well-being through the pregnancy, and adapt to the child's arrival. Other services aim to support families upon the arrival of a new child (birth or adoption).

Services dispensed during pregnancy or after the birth or adoption of the child which were examined in the context of the GSS include: parenting skills (pre-natal courses, mother's support groups, public health nurses, etc.), nutrition information for the mother or the child, breastfeeding (La Lèche League, lactation consultant, volunteer from a breastfeeding support group) and home care (meal preparation, laundry, house cleaning or shopping). These formal support services are provided by either a health professional, a community-based service worker, or a support group which includes the services of a doctor, social worker, psychologist, public health nurse or midwife.

Among persons who had or adopted a child between 2001 and 2006, 66% received at least one type of formal service or support. The proportion of parents who indicated having received some type or formal support increased from 59% in 2001 to 71% in 2006. According to data from the GSS, 9 out of 10 persons who received such services rated the help received as useful.

So, which services do parents call upon during their parental experience? Parents who had or adopted a child between 2001 and 2006 considered nutrition for the health of the mother and child to be very important. Approximately 48% of parents requested services related to breastfeeding, with almost as many asking to be informed recording nutrition (44%). Mothers and fathers were, however, much less likely to receive home care assistance.

Parents with more education as well as first-time parents are more likely to have sought formal support services

Of course, the profile of parents requesting formal support services depends upon the eligibility criteria of services offered, which vary from province to province. In addition to this are the particular needs expressed by some families.

According to the GSS, the use of formal support services generally declines with age. The younger a person is when having or adopting a child, the more likely that person is to seek out formal support services. However, the distribution of people who requested breastfeeding services according to their age at the time of the child's birth is much more uniform: up to age 39, nearly half of parents had used breastfeeding services. Use of this type of service is less frequent among people who experienced parenthood in their forties (about 44%).

Moreover, use of formal support services or differs according to whether a person is a first-time parent or not. Among persons who were first-time parents, more than 80% requested some type of formal support service. The corresponding proportion for parents who were having or adopting their second or third child was 55%. This may be because parents who are having or adopting another child are much more informed and comfortable regarding the parental and administrative undertakings involved. The type of formal support service used does not differ between first-time parents and those having one or more children.

The GSS shows that more educated persons are more numerous in seeking out formal support services: among parents who had a partial or completed post-secondary education, more than two thirds used formal services or supports. Those who had a high school diploma or who had only partial primary or secondary schooling were less likely to call upon formal services or supports.

Many parents report not requesting formal support services during pregnancy or after the birth or adoption because they maintain that they did not need any help

For service providers and decision-makers who focus on the well-being of families, it is interesting to know the reasons why some parents do not make use of available services or support. As previously mentioned, nearly one-third of parents who had or adopted a child between 2001 and 2006 did not make use of any type of formal support service during pregnancy or sometime after the birth or adoption of the child.

Firstly, 18% of parents indicate that they did not know that these support services existed. This proportion varies very little across provinces; only the Prairies show a slightly higher proportion (23%). On the other hand, among persons who were aware of the formal support programs and services, 66% did not use the services simply because they did not feel the need for them. Families may seek solutions within their own network, particularly with relatives or other people who have the same concerns. Across the country, residents of the Atlantic region (72%) were most likely to report that they did not seek out formal support services because they did not need them. Their counterparts in the Prairies (56%) were the least likely to cite this reason.

Finally, a very small proportion of people flagged a few gaps in formal support services such as services not being offered in their region, their request for service being refused, waiting periods that were too long, or services that were too expensive.

More fathers are taking time off from work for the birth or adoption of a child

Policies regarding maternity and parental leaves have existed for a very long time and are established in over a hundred countries. Maternity policies were enacted to support the health and well-being of the mother and infant. Since the 1960s, these policies have gained increasing importance as more and more women have entered the labour market, particularly married women with young children. In Canada, 63% of women with children under the age of three worked outside the home in 2003 (Statistics Canada, 2004).

According to the GSS, 65% of parents who were paid workers or self-employed before the birth or adoption of a child (between 2001 and 2006) took leave (paid or unpaid) from their job. The proportion of parents who took a leave of absence from work for a birth or an adoption was 61% in 2001, whereas this proportion was 70% for parents who had or adopted a child five years later.

Although the latest policy provisions are prompting more and more parents to benefit from parental leave, women are always more numerous in taking a leave of absence from work for a birth or adoption. In fact, 88% of mothers took a leave of absence from their jobs, compared with 45% of fathers did so. This relatively high level of participation of fathers who are taking leave places Canada ahead of a number of countries, but ranks it well behind those where parents benefit from paid, non-transferable parental leave (each parent must use their leave or lose it) as in Sweden and Norway (Marshall, 2003).

Finally, revising the parental program seems to have worked, since the proportion of fathers who took leave following the arrival of a child has increased since 2001. While the proportion of mothers who took a leave of absence from work remained stable at nearly 90% between 2001 and 2006, the proportion of fathers who did so increased from 38% to 55% during the same period. This increase may be explained by the extended length of time offered for benefits (now that Canadian parents can receive up to 35 paid weeks of leave, mothers are perhaps more inclined to "share" some of the leave time with their spouse or partner) and the federal program for choice regarding child care (effective since July 2006).

Financial reasons and working conditions are important reasons accounting for why some parents do not take leave for the birth or adoption of a child

According to the GSS, 35% of parents who were paid workers or self-employed before the birth or adoption of a child (between 2001 and 2006) did not take leave (paid or unpaid) from their job. Several reasons account for parents' decision not to take leave after the birth or adoption of a child.

Financial and employment factors are among the most frequent reasons reported approximately 4 out of 10 parents could not to take such leave because their financial situation did not allow it. Next, 37% of parents account for this decision with reference to working conditions, which did not allow them to take a leave of absence.

The years between 25 and 35 are the prime years for establishing a successful career: these are the years when professional efforts are usually the most profitable. Thus, professional demands may be incompatible with the task of caring for a child. Accordingly, the GSS shows that approximately 25% of parents reported that they preferred not to compromise their career.

The reasons reported for not taking leave after a birth or adoption differed according to the gender of the parent. Among men, factors related to finances, employment and career played a dominant role in the decision not to take leave following a birth or adoption. In fact, men (46%) were twice as likely as women to report that their financial situation did not allow them to take leave.

The large majority of mothers take maternity leave, whereas fathers take annual or parental leave

The type of leave taken varies according to the parent's gender. While the large majority of mothers who had or adopted a child between 2001 and 2006 took maternity leave (81%), very few fathers (9%²) took paternity leave. A quarter of fathers took parental leave to stay home and care for a child. Instead of paternity or parental leaves, fathers usually allot themselves a few days of vacation or other paid (or unpaid) personal leave. In fact, 38% of fathers drew on their annual leave to take time off work and 19% took unpaid leave. This may be because some organizations still show resistance towards requests from young fathers who want to get more involved in their new family (Conseil de la famille et de l'enfance, 2003).

Fathers are more likely to return to work after taking time off for a birth or adoption

For some parents, returning to work after the birth or adoption of a child may prove difficult. It takes time to adjust to a new baby. Even if parents have more or less planned for everything, have found the best way to care for their child, and are in a hurry to return to work, the return still requires a period of adaptation. Parents must learn to reconcile the baby's needs with their desire to care for the child and the need to return to work.

According to the GSS, after a short or extended absence to care for a child between 2001 and 2006, 77% of parents returned to work. Fathers were more lileky to do so: 9 in 10 fathers compared with slightly more than 6 in 10 mothers.

Mothers take time off from work for a longer period of time than fathers after a pregnancy or an adoption

The timing for returning to work after a leave of absence for the birth or adoption of a child varies according to the parent's gender. According to the GSS, 85% of fathers who took leave of some kind to care for their child between 2001 and 2006 were off from work for less than six months. Of this proportion, more than two-thirds returned to work within a month following the child's birth or adoption.

However, during the same period, mothers took leave from work a longer period: nearly half of women returned to work within 12 to 47 months after the birth or adoption of the child. In addition, a third of mothers returned to work within 6 to 11 months.

Of course, the length of leave taken and the type of leave taken to care for the child are related. Parents who returned to the labour market more quickly had taken annual or unpaid leave or had benefited from a program offered by the employer. In contrast, parents who stayed home longer to care for the child mostly benefited from maternity/paternity leave or parental leave.

Financial reasons are an important factor in the decision to return to work after a birth or adoption

In addition to the type of leave taken for the birth or adoption of a child, other factors affect the reintegration of parents into the labour market. For some people, taking a leave of absence from work represents potentially significant income loss. According to the GSS, 79% of parents indicated that they returned to work for financial reasons. Additionally, more than half of parents reported that their career was important or cited their desire to return to work as a reason for returning to work.

Despite the improved support programs and services designed to enable a greater number of parents to take more time to care for their child, 36% of parents indicated that they returned to work because they feared losing their job. Some types of jobs still offer little flexibility regarding absences from work. This is particularly true of less secure, contractual, non-unionized and atypical jobs (Ministère de l'Emploi, de la Solidarité sociale et de la Famille, 2004a). In a recent study conducted among persons who worked in small and medium sized firms in Quebec, fear of job loss due to repeated absences for family reasons emerged as a very real concern for parents (Ministère de l'Emploi, de la Solidarité sociale et de la Famille, 2004b).

The reasons reported by men for returning to work were generally accorded the same importance by women. However, many more mothers indicated that they returned to work because they felt isolated at home (26%). This is related to the fact that mothers stay at home longer than do fathers to care for the child. Fathers seem more worried about the possibility of losing their job (40%).

In addition, many parents who return to work, particularly if they do so for financial or job security reasons, would like to take longer parental leaves. Among parents who returned to work, 81% indicate that they would have stayed home longer to care for the child if they could have afford to. As well, of parents who took maternity or paternity leave, slightly more than 8 out of 10 parents would have extended their leave if benefits had been higher or offered for a longer period of time. Finally, among parents who took another type of leave (annual, unpaid, etc.), 65% indicated that they would have liked to have stayed home longer before returning to work.

Taking a leave of absence from work whether for a short or extended period can result in worse situations than lost income. A small proportion of parents indicate negative consequences associated with a leave of absence from work for parental reasons. Among parents who took time off to care for a child, 10% report having lost an opportunity for promotion and 8% mentioned that they had to retrain or take courses after returning to work. Approximately 7% of parents cited that, they returned to a less desirable job assignment.

The large majority of parents report that they are satisfied with the transition between leave and return to work

The large majority of parents (86%) who took leave from work for parental reasons between 2001 and 2006 indicated that they were satisfied with the transition between leave and the return to work. The desire to stay home longer, family-work balance and specific, work-related problems are the main reasons cited among parents who were dissatisfied.

The transition is more stressful for mothers

At times, the demands and concerns of family life can bring their share of stress (Tremblay et al., 2006; Duxbury et al. 1994). If we add to this the stress involved in returning to work, parents may sometimes feel irritated or anxious. Schedules are often very heavy and working parents have more trouble finding time to enjoy themselves as a family.

While most fathers rated the transition between leave and the return to work as being not too stressful or even not at all stressful, the situation is entirely different for mothers. In fact, 62% of mothers indicated that the transition between leave and returning to work was stressful. Of this proportion, 19% described this transition as being very stressful. Mothers often have to make the most compromises in balancing their responsibilities: they are more likely to step out from the labour force or to request temporary leaves of absence and devote more time to household work (Lapierre-Adamcyk et al., 2006; Pacaut et al., 2006; Marshall, 2006).

Despite numerous measures implemented by government to support parents, concerns persist, particularly with regard to accommodating professional and family schedules. The GSS reveals that nearly half of parents mentioned work-family balance as a primary source of stress associated with their return to work then follow concerns related to the family (20%), to work (12%) and child care (12%).

Some parents do not return to work after a birth or adoption they want to raise their children themselves

Of course, not all parents return to work following a leave of absence. Approximately 23% of parents who took leave between 2001 and 2006 for parental reasons did not return to work. For a majority of parents who stayed at home, their decision was motivated by a desire to raise their child themselves (54%). Many parents also report staying at home due to a subsequent or intended pregnancy.

Next, nearly 24% of parents did not return to work for financial reasons, with child care services being too expensive. These parents were likely to be working part-time and to have accumulated less professional seniority in their current job (Marshall, 1999). Once child care fees are subtracted from their income, these parents are perhaps less inclined to return to work for financial reasons.

Professional reasons were cited by 8% of parents who were unable to return to their job, because their employer had not offered position they were seeking or they lost their job.

Summary

This section was based on parents who had or adopted a child between 2001 and 2006. The analysis carried out provides informtion about the use (and non use) of services and programs involved in the parental experience as well as absences from work for a pregnancy or an adoption. The results presented require more in-depth exploration through supplementary analysis in order to examine in more detail the dynamics of parenthood. Such an exploration could, for example, include an analysis of workplace supports (daycare services, schedule flexibility) or even the structure of employment (work status, nature of employment, unionization).

Notes:

1. Nearly all children were birth children.
2. Use with caution.