Right now, the people who are excluded in this program are excluded in maternity and parental benefits and/or compassionate care benefits. There are two major parts to employment insurance. There are regular benefits, which people receive when they are not working. Then there are special benefits. Maternity and parental benefits fit under there, along with compassionate care benefits and others. These special benefits are there because they are compassionate, caring and nurturing benefits. As a country, we've decided that we're going to do this. What happens to families who don't have access to EI benefits is another set of issues that we need to deal with, separate from the EI benefit, but the EI benefit gives us the wedge that supports families as they are grieving and being forced to go back to work.
I'm not sure I'm answering your question, but I'm hoping to frame it by saying that this law is one of compassion, care and honouring what people are going through. It's not judging or forcing them to feel a particular way. We can't help people feel, but we can help people with some of the things they're trying to do—stay in the paid labour force, receive their benefits and not have to choose between a funeral or rent. These are some of the basics that this law allows and makes possible for families to access. The families who won't have access to this include those who experience pregnancy loss before viability. Those families would be eligible for sick leave, not maternity and parental benefits.