Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to start by thanking the witnesses who are here to share their experience, expertise and knowledge. We've heard some very difficult testimony on this bill, which is extremely important.
I want to reiterate our commitment to making this bill move quickly. All members on this committee are prioritizing this bill because we know it's important for grieving parents. There's a commitment in budget 2025 to fund benefits for grieving parents. This illustrates that we are serious about moving this forward. We really need to move this bill out of committee and back to the House so it can move to the next step.
This is a very personal issue for me. In 2017, my best friend's son, who was nine years old and was also my son's best friend, died from a tragic soccer accident. Both of my friends just checked out. I had to step in and be the person to talk to the employers, to do the administrative issues and to even do the funeral arrangements, because they had no family nearby. I also lived through two miscarriages, so I know very well how grief is not linear.
I have continued to support and accompany my friend since 2017. Everything you mentioned, Ms. Fockler, about when you returned to work is true—how people were tiptoeing around you and how some people were always afraid that you were going to break out and cry at any moment. There are people who wish you would move on, because it's been long enough and by now you should have had all the time to grieve. People don't know how to handle grief.
Your points about advocacy and education around it are really important. This is something we should be working on.
In the previous panel, it was mentioned that grief is not a linear process. I'd like both of you to tell me whether we should consider a more flexible approach for parents.
It is possible that someone, after a 12-month leave or after a few weeks, whichever, has grieved and gone back to work. They may feel completely fine and able to continue, or they may even have support. However, we know that grief is not a linear process. We know that, within a year, there will be a tougher time, sometimes without really knowing why.
Would there be a benefit to having more flexibility, so that the benefits given for bereavement are not necessarily linear?
That's my first question, and it's for both of you.