Good afternoon. Ladies, thank you for your testimony. It will be very valuable to us.
I must tell you at the outset that parliamentarians adopted the spirit of the bill at second reading before studying it in committee. The purpose of the bill is to give adoptive parents 15 weeks of employment insurance, the same as biological parents get. Your testimony has helped to illustrate why time is important.
If the bill passes, adoptive mothers could be eligible for 15 weeks of employment insurance, just like biological mothers. Ms. Rottenberg, do you feel that this equity is important?