Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

Comité permanent des ressources humaines, du développement des compétences, du développement social et de la condition des personnes handicapées

For immediate release

Ottawa, February 07, 2019 -

The death of a child is a profoundly difficult and painful experience. In addition to the grief of coping with the loss, many families can also experience significant financial hardship. This is often the result of funeral expenses, medical expenses, and the need to take time off work.

Today, Bryan May, Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, presented the Committee’s 14th report in the House of Commons. “I recognize the hard work that HUMA members completed in reviewing the challenges faced by families in losing a child, and the strong recommendations that we’ve made to move forward and improve the services and supports that these families rely upon,” said Mr. May.

Entitled Supporting Families After the Loss of a Child, the report was inspired by a motion sponsored by Blake Richards (Member of Parliament for Banff–Airdrie). The goal of MP Richards’ private Member’s motion was to study how to improve supports for families after the loss of a child as well as ways to ensure that parents do not suffer further financial or emotional hardship owing to the design of government programs.

The Committee’s report is based upon testimony provided by a variety of witnesses – including parents and family members who have experienced the death of child, researchers, service providers, and government officials. Specifically, the report presents data and research on families who have experienced the death of a child and identifies gaps between the support that is available for grieving families and their actual needs, the reasons for these gaps, and how the government must do better.

The report makes seven recommendations to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, and the Department of Employment Social Development Canada that will better support parents and families who have experienced the death of a child.

The Committee is composed of 14 Members of Parliament. It is chaired by Bryan May (Cambridge) and its vice-chairs are John Barlow (Foothills) and Brigitte Sansoucy (Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot). The other committee members are: Rodger Cuzner (Cape Breton—Canso), Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach), Rosemarie Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster), Gordie Hogg (South Surrey—White Rock), Wayne Long (Saint John—Rothesay), Robert J. Morrissey (Egmont), Sherry Romanado (Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne), Dan Ruimy (Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge), Ramesh Sangha (Brampton Centre), Adam Vaughan (Spadina—Fort York), and Kate Young (London West).