Inspired by their daughter, a family by surrogacy advocates for the same benefits as other parents [Video]

A new Ontario law, known informally for the little girl who inspired it, will help level the playing field for families created through adoption and surrogacy, by giving them the same benefits as other parents.

‘Scottie’s Law’ extends the provincial 16-week maternal leave—which until now had been reserved for women who gave birth—to adoptive families and parents whose children were carried by a surrogate.

Scottie, now 17 months, made an uninhibited appearance gleefully waving and clapping at a press conference announcing the change on Nov. 26.  

Her parents, Zane and Baden Colt, reflected in an interview with The CJN on what the change means to families like theirs, who needed a surrogate.

“When we were early on in our surrogacy journey, we started to look at what was it going to look like when we finally were lucky enough to bring home a child. We were disheartened to realize we …