The importance of breastfeeding for children who are seen by child and family services agencies.

 

On Monday May 30, I moved a Report Stage Amendment to Bill 17, The Family Law Act, to add the importance of considering the need for mothers to be able to breastfeed their infants.  Sadly the government did not support the amendment. 

 

Mr. Gerrard: Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the MLA for Tyndall Park,

THAT Bill 17 be amended in Clause 35(3) of Schedule A (The Family Law Act) by adding the following after clause (a):

(a.1) the nutritional requirements of the child, including breastfeeding;

Madam Speaker: It has been moved by the hon­our­able member for River Heights (Mr. Gerrard), seconded by the hon­our­able member for Tyndall Park (Ms. Lamoureux),

THAT Bill 17 be amended in Clause 35(3) of Schedule A (The Family Law Act)–

Madam Speaker: The amend­ment is in order

Mr. Gerrard: Madam Speaker, this amend­ment re­cog­nizes some­thing which is parti­cularly im­por­tant in the early life of a child, and that is breastfeeding.

      And I bring it forward after having had ex­per­ience in a number of instances where children have been taken away from breastfeeding mothers [by child and family services agencies], and they have been taken away without giving the mother–the op­por­tun­ity to continue breast­­feeding.

      And we know from many, many studies over many years, that breastfeeding–the nutrition in breast­feeding and, indeed, the attachment to the mother in breastfeeding - are extra­ordin­arily im­por­tant in the early life of a child. And it is because that, in the cur­rent law, and which is being changed [by Bill 17), but many aspects have continued.   It has not been ade­quately recog­nized, time and time again in my ex­per­ience, the importance of breastfeeding. And, there­fore, it is really, really im­por­tant that we add this clause to recog­nize how–the con­tri­bu­tion of breast­feeding and how im­por­tant it is and what a role it can play.

      Now, we've been dealing with COVID and, as an example, the breastmilk may transfer antibodies to the COVID virus and be pro­tec­tive of the infant early on, and that can be critically im­por­tant, parti­cularly if an infant has got other dif­fi­cul­ties or disabilities, but it would be im­por­tant for every child. And it's been quite clear over many years that breastfeeding will decrease the likelihood of problems with diarrhea, of infec­tions. And these antibodies related to COVID are not some­thing that would be found in a bottle.

      And we know from what's happening in the United States right now that there is a shortage of for­mula. And this–in em­pha­sizing breastfeeding–that this would provide pro­tec­tion should there be, in Canada, the same shortage of formula that is now being ex­per­ienced in the United States.

      We know that the act of breastfeeding can be very important in terms of the–not only the nurture, but also the attachment. I will give a specific example of a mother whose child was taken away from her on about day 2 or 3–is my recollection. She had started in hospital in Brandon, breastfeeding. She had been breastfeeding, there was an attachment developed, and the child was getting the nurture from the breast­feeding. But the agency involved decided that the mother was a risk, and they apprehended the child, and they curtailed the breastfeeding. There was no way that she could continue breastfeeding.

      Six weeks later, this situation came before a court of law in Brandon and the decision to take away the child was reversed, and the child was given back to the mother, but the child had not been able to breast­feed [and it was too late to restart the breastfeeding].

      This [amendment] would make a correction to this, and I urge the Minister of Justice to allow this to pass.

      Thank you.

Hon. Kelvin Goertzen (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I do ap­pre­ciate the member bring­ing forward this and the previous amend­ment.

      This parti­cular bill's undergone sig­ni­fi­cant con­sul­ta­tion with those prac­ti­tioners in the field and with others, but I will take back his sug­ges­tions as potential fodder for future amend­ments.

Madam Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amend­ment?

Some Honourable Members: Yes.

Some Honourable Members: No.

Voice Vote

Madam Speaker: All those in favour of the amend­ment, please say yea.

Some Honourable Members: Yea.

Madam Speaker: All those opposed, please say nay.

Some Honourable Members: Nay.

Madam Speaker: In my opinion, the Nays have it.

      I declare the motion lost.

Mr. Gerrard: On division, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: The amend­ment is defeated, on division.

Voice Vote

Madam Speaker: All those in favour of the amend­ment, please say yea.

Some Honourable Members: Yea.

Madam Speaker: All those opposed, please say nay.

Some Honourable Members: Nay.

Madam Speaker: In my opinion, the Nays have it.

      I declare the motion lost.

Mr. Gerrard: On division, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: The amend­ment is defeated, on division.