Skip Navigation
Visit novascotialife.com

Having a Baby or Adopting

Prepare yourself for birth or adoption with our quick links to information about employment insurance (EI), and maternity and parental benefits. We also have useful tips and information on the health, well-being, development, and care of children, as well as information about community outreach services. If you are considering adoption, learn more about eligibility and the process required for local and international adoption online.

Prenatal Care

You should follow the experts' advice when it comes to prenatal care. Here are some links that might be of interest:

Adoption

Pregnancy Leave

Pregnancy leave is exclusively for a natural mother or an adoptive parent.

Parental Leave

Both natural parents and adoptive parents can use parental leave.

Sick Benefits

If you are unable to work due to illness, you may be eligible for sickness benefits.

Midwives

Midwives offer a choice of home or hospital birth to women having a healthy, low-risk pregnancy. They provide care throughout pregnancy and birth for both mother and baby, and for the first six weeks afterwards.

Multiple Births

Expecting more than one baby? There are organizations that help families cope and provide answers to many of the questions that may arise.

Post-natal Care

You should follow the experts' advice when it comes to postnatal care.

Safety

It's amazing how a child can change your life and how they are dependent on you to take care of them. Here are some links that may be useful:

Early Childhood Development Services

Support parents who need child care while attending training programs, or when working, by helping to pay the child care fees for children enrolled in full day licensed child care programs

Child and Family Benefits

The Canada Child Tax Benefit and the Goods and Services Tax Credit are tax-free periodic payments made to eligible families.

Daycare (Child Care)

Education Funding

RESPs are registered savings plans that allow savings to grow tax-free until your child enrolls in post secondary education.

Staying Home to Raise Your Child - Canada Pension Plan

The Canada Pension Plan includes a provision for parents who stay home (or reduce their earnings) to care for a child. The Child Rearing Drop-out Provision protects parents against significant reductions in their future pensions.

Domestics/Nannies

You can locate a domestic or nanny through the yellow pages of your phone book under Nannies or some Employment Agencies have listings for domestics or nannies. The Department of Labour and Workforce Development has information regarding the employment standards relating to nannies or domestics.

Birth Registration

The parent receives the registration form in the hospital at the time of the birth. When the form is completed, it is submitted to the Local Division Registrar at the hospital, who signs it and then forwards it to the Vital Statistics Section, Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.

Birth Certificate

A birth certificate is an official document which includes a person's legal name, date of birth and place of birth, and is issued by the province in which the person was born. If a child was born outside of Nova Scotia, you will need to contact that province or country in order to obtain the birth certificate.

Health Card

A Nova Scotia Health Card proves that a person is registered for insured health services in Nova Scotia.

Passport

A passport is an internationally accepted document for proof of identification and citizenship.

Social Insurance Card

A Social Insurance Card is a piece of identification that has a person's name and Social Insurance Number on it. It is required for many federal programs.