Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My thanks to the officials from Statistics Canada. Those are important data, which must absolutely be part of our report.
Ms. Astravas, I was really pleased to hear that you followed our committee's hearings very closely. Like us, you have therefore learned about the needs of bereaved parents. The experts confirmed how appropriate it is to consider the time those parents need to grieve.
In your conclusion, you pointed out the challenge in that the whole range of support programs is intended for eligible workers. That is the problem we have to address as a committee. All bereaved parents need the support. However, from what I have heard, the current employment insurance program is not the best program for bereaved parents. It is aimed at the 40% of eligible workers. We also see that it is an average, given that eligible women, who are all inevitably affected by the loss of a child, make up only 35%.
A number of witnesses said that the process at Service Canada was designed more for people who have lost their jobs. Bereaved parents had to submit their applications two or three times because they were deemed ineligible. The applications of other parents were rejected. Some said that lining up at Service Canada with people who have lost their jobs was difficult for them, as all those people are not in the same situation as theirs. Other witnesses, women, told us that they were not eligible for employment insurance after their maternity leave.
You showed us what you are offering, but given those challenges, are you considering creating other programs, outside the EI framework, to ensure that 100% of parents who are grieving and need support are eligible for benefits?