SASKATOON — Linda Loken-Lightle, Flaviana Fely Rodulfa, and Ontario Disability Network co-founder Sherry Caldwell believe family caregivers, who either work full-time or part-time to take care of a relative, should also be classified as healthcare workers and receive compensation.
And this is what is being pushed for by a current petition to Parliament by Geneviève Coutou, who started Petition e-6812 in September last year, which aims to expand vital social supports, such as benefit accessibility and employment insurance, to family caregivers.
Coutu, who is from Sorel-Tracy in Quebec, drew from her personal experience when she had to quit her job to become a full-time family caregiver for her husband, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020. Her husband passed away on Nov. 14, 2025. She said she exhausted EI’s caregiving benefits and their savings, and that she also took out her own pension in January last year to cover the costs of caring for her husband, leaving her with no income while continuing to provide round-the-clock care.
“This is no longer about me. I will no longer benefit from this. I’m fighting for the next caregiver and will continue to do so for those who have also sacrificed their time and effort to care for their loved ones. I want them not to experience what I have experienced, where I almost lost my house,” said Coutu.
She added that she struggled financially and had to fundraise, sometimes in front of grocery stores, asking strangers for donations. That is where she met people who told her that it costs the government more to keep people in care homes than to have them cared for by family caregivers.
“The government, when they send someone to a care home, it costs taxpayers roughly $13,000 a month. So, when I kept my husband at home, the taxpayers saved a lot of money. But, family caregivers like me have no fixed income,” said Coutu.
The petition seeks to recognize family caregivers’ roles within the country’s healthcare system and to have the government compensate them fairly by establishing a federal program for full-time family caregivers and increasing access to EI benefits. Family caregivers often work without weekends, sick days, or vacations, yet remain largely invisible in policy discussions. She believes compensating caregivers is not only humane but fiscally responsible, especially as long-term care facilities face staffing shortages and long wait lists.
Loken-Lightle, Rodulfa, and Caldwell support the petition as caregivers across the country struggle with rising living costs, limited government benefits, and the emotional and financial toll of unpaid care work, which does not end in an eight- or 12-hour shift.
Loken-Lightle said she was living and working in Spruce Grove, Alberta, which was an hour away from Edmonton, when she quit her job in 2006 to help her mother take care of her father, who had dementia. She never left after her dad passed away, and she continued as her mother’s health declined.
She said that she and her mom are living off the money in the bank given to her by her ex-husband, who won a lottery. However, not all family caregivers have the same fortune as she did, and many are facing extreme circumstances, especially with the rising cost of living.
“I have strong family support. But many people need this. That’s why this petition matters. People are keeping loved ones at home, saving the system money, but they’re paying for it themselves,” said Loken-Lightle, who added that many caregivers are forced to leave their jobs with little or no income.
Rodulfa, meanwhile, was working full-time before going part-time to take care of her mom with the help of her husband and aunt. Her sister convinced her to put their mom into a care home when she could get better care after suffering a stroke, but she decided to take her out to continue looking after her until she passed away in 2013.
“We Filipinos look after our elderly, and it has been part of our culture. Compassion and empathy are qualities we have passed on to the next generation. One of my nieces became a nurse after seeing me take care of my mother,” added Rodulfa.
Caldwell, who has been taking care of her daughter since birth, said family caregivers often are pushed into poverty and burnout without additional support, and the petition would help those who are taking care of their loved ones, whether they are sick or disabled. Her daughter, Ashley, who is now 21 years old, uses a wheelchair, uses an iPad to communicate, and has a feeding tube. However, she makes sure her daughter, despite her disability, lives a good life and enjoys her time being an artist.
“This federal petition is a clear call for predictable funding that recognizes [family] caregiving as essential work and helps families keep loved ones safe at home before they are forced into crisis. Many are in crisis. [Family] caregivers across Canada are struggling. It requires two incomes to stay afloat to pay rent, or the high cost of a mortgage, and feed a family. Not to mention therapy, medical equipment adds costs to raising a child with a disability. Yet, lifetime caregivers are expected to do this. It is too much to ask,” said Caldwell, who also founded GoodOnU.ca and has connections with other caregivers and disabled people.
The petition focuses on Social Affairs and Equality, with particular attention to caregivers, Employment Insurance caregiving benefits, and gaps in Canada’s health-care system. It calls on the federal government to better support family caregivers who often sacrifice income, employment, and personal well-being. The petition calls on the federal government to formally recognize family caregivers as part of the health-care system, establish a monthly compensation program, extend EI caregiver benefits, and create a national respite and support program accessible across Canada.
Under parliamentary rules, the government must issue a formal response to any e-petition that reaches 500 signatures. In comparison, petitions with more than 10,000 signatures may be considered for debate in the House of Commons. As the petition’s deadline approaches, on Friday, Jan. 16, supporters hope stories like those of Loken-Lightle, Rodulfa and Caldwell will resonate with Canadians and lawmakers alike. They argue that recognizing and compensating family caregivers is essential to sustaining Canada’s health-care system and ensuring dignity for those who give and receive care at home.
