Context
Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) 
is designed to improve family conditions upon the arrival of a new child while recognizing the importance of women’s active role in the job market. The Conseil de gestion de l’assurance parentale is in charge of managing the QPIP.
This section gives the demographic, social, and economic details that led to the creation of the QPIP and the Conseil.
- Labour market and the aging work force
- Family realities
- Social consensus and government action
- Citizen expectations on sound management
Labour market and the aging work force
According to demographic forecasts, the Québec labour force will stop growing as of 2010, and the work environment will be marked by a wave of retirements. Ensuring a high worker participation rate will therefore become even more pressing to meet the economy’s needs.
Women have also made a greater contribution to the labour market over the last 20 years, which has transformed the working world and society as a whole. Women are increasingly well educated and contribute more and more to the labour market.
Family realities
There is a growing trend among younger generations to want to spend more time with the family. Striking a “work/family balance” is a big issue for today’s young women, who want to take care of their families—particularly in the first year of a child’s life—but also want to continue playing an active role in the labour market. Men are also contributing to the development of this new family model, and more and more fathers take leave upon the birth or adoption of a child. At a time when the workforce is stretched ever thinner, employers have to be inventive to take full advantage of their personnel’s talent while remaining open to changing values.
Social consensus and government action
In recent years, the Québec government has strengthened family policies, making them one of its main priorities in response to public demand. This can be seen in the implementation of measures such as child support, the work premium, family tax credits, and educational childcare services. The new Québec Parental Insurance Plan and the creation of the Conseil de gestion de l’assurance parentale are other examples of efforts to support families.
Careful management on behalf of citizens
Oversight by the Conseil, with respect to the Québec Parental Insurance Plan, ensures that the high expectations of users and contributors are met. Indeed, users and contributors have a right to expect that the services for which they pay out of their own pockets are of high quality, offered at the lowest possible cost, and that all of Québec society profits from the Plan. The strategic plan (PDF, 1.77 MB)(French only) lists the actions taken to ensure the long term viability of the QPIP, and the annual management report (PDF, 1.71 MB)(French only) provides an analysis of its performance.
Last update: 2009-12-09
Note: The information contained on this website cannot be used for legal interpretation purposes and does not replace the provisions of the relevant statutes and regulations.
