ABSTRACT
In 1997 the government of Quebec legislated a new family policy. It provided, among other things, three innovative programs. First is a family allowance targeted to low-income families and set at a level sufficiently high to recognize the basic needs of a child. The second is universal educational child care at a very low cost, with parents paying full fees at only five dollars per day. The third is the promise of a paid parental leave, including a portion reserved to fathers, which would be longer, more comprehensive, and at a higher replacement rate than the limited leaves already in place in Canada.
