‘Parents shouldn’t have to choose’
New Parental Accommodations Policy for Kings County councillors a municipal first in Nova Scotia
Emily Lutz is hoping a new parental accommodations policy will help promote inclusion and diversity on Kings County council.
The council voted unanimously in favour of passing the Parental Accommodations Policy for Elected Officials in July. The policy is the first of its kind for a Nova Scotia municipality.
The policy states that the municipality supports council members taking leave for pregnancy, birth or adoption, and is committed to supporting elected officials during that time through a variety of measures. The comprehensive policy also provides for leave in the event of pregnancy loss.
Lutz, the municipality’s deputy mayor, is the mom of two children, three-year-old Everett and fourmonth-old Azie. She thinks the new policy is “a marvellous step forward.”
“It was really nice to see council make a statement by enacting the policy that municipal council is a welcoming environment for new parents,” she said. “This sends a strong message of inclusion to those that the policy affects directly and to the general public.”
The more diversity around the council horseshoe, the better, she adds. Lutz said council would continue to look for ways to improve inclusion and diversity.
Parenthood isn’t a barrier
The genesis of the policy is rooted in recent amendments to the provincial Municipal Government Act. Attendance requirements for new parents were changed so that they could be absent from council meetings for up to one year without being penalized.
Lutz said municipal staff took the initiative to develop the policy, taking the change to provincial legislation a step further. She says parenthood shouldn’t be viewed as a barrier to becoming involved in municipal politics.
“It’s very exciting to be leading the way on this,” Lutz said. “It speaks to the idea that parents shouldn’t have to choose between having families and participating in democracy, especially at the local level, where all of our decisions are impacting families and impacting communities.”
As a breastfeeding mother, Lutz can’t be away from her baby for extended lengths of time. The best option for her if she wants to be involved in municipal governance is to bring her daughter along to attend meetings. Lutz said this isn’t disruptive and if she has to step out into a side room with her baby for a few moments, she can still follow along with what is happening at the meeting.
“I figure it’s better to be there with the baby than not be there at all, which is my other option,” the deputy mayor said.
Lutz hopes the policy could convince more young parents to consider running for election in the County of Kings. She said policy must evolve to reflect those sitting around the council table, and says this gives the flexibility to young parents that they need.