Parental Leave

Graduate students may take up to a 3-term Parental Leave at the time of pregnancy, birth or adoption to permit a pause in studies in order to provide full-time care in the first year of parenting a new child. Either parent may apply.

When you are on leave you do not register, nor are you required to pay fees for this period. You may not have access to your supervisor or the library unless you make special arrangements. You will not be eligible to receive University of Toronto fellowship support during the leave but may defer until your return; in the case of other fellowships, the regulations of the particular granting agency will apply. You may qualify for Employment Insurance; call U of T Family Care Office 978-0951 or Human Resources Development Canada 1-800-206-7218.

You apply for leave by filling in the Request for Parental Leave form, available in your department or at SGS. We have been assured that a request for parental leave will be granted automatically; if you take Parental Leave, SGS will extend your terminal date by the duration of leave taken.

Because students on parental leave are not registered with the School, you may be required to pay back OSAP loans while on leave. But take heart. The OSAP Interest Relief Program is now in place. This program is designed to provide interest relief for former post-secondary education students who are temporarily unable to meet loan payments. Unemployed applicants or those with low-paying jobs are eligible for interest relief that permits deferral of payment for up to three periods of six months each.

Eligibility is based on gross family income and family size in relation to the amount of your monthly Canada and Ontario student loan payments so you won't necessarily receive relief. Applications are available at Ontario banks or credit unions or at the SGS, 63 St. George St. Call David Sidebottom at Admissions and Awards (978-7604) if you're having trouble.

Unfortunately, full-time students on leave are not covered by the GSU Supplementary Health Insurance Plan.

U Of T Student Food and Clothing Bank

New College, 11 Classic Ave. (just south of the Athletic Centre)
The Party Room (in the basement of Wetmore Hall)
Open Hours change each term; Wheelchair accessible

• Come early as we sometimes run out of food. We are a student-run, volunteer-based service that provides food & used winter clothes to students and alumni at U of T.
• Food is supplied by the Daily Bread Food Bank and food drives. Information about student funding and financial survival is available. The Steering Committee meets regularly to work on fundraising, food drives, publicity, education, etc. Volunteers and donations of staples like rice, pasta and sauce, tuna, sugar and canned juice, fruit and vegetables are always welcomed.
  Contact: Terri Nikolaevsky at SAC, 978-4911 ext. 233

Family Care Office

www.library.utoronto.ca/familycare

Most grad students have multiple family responsibilities. For student parents, or those providing elder care, it may be very difficult balancing family, work and studies. It is usually only possible with good funding and resources. The additional expenses of childrearing (childcare, housing, food) can make parents more vulnerable to small changes in their budgets. Student parents are the largest group of users of the U of T Food and Clothing Bank and the workshops we help organize annually, such as "Financial Survival for Student Families", are well attended. The Athletic Centre also offers wonderful programming for children and families.

The Family Care Office provides free confidential information and advice, organizes workshops, support groups, seminars, and works to develop policy and educate the U of T community about a diverse range of family care issues including the following: maternity leave, child care, elder care, community programs and lesbian and gay family issues. There is also a Family Care Resource Centre. This assistance is available to all members of the U of T community. Student fees fund 40% of this office so don't hesitate to use their services.