Today (October 15) is Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day, a day which is observed every year to remember the lives of all the infants that were taken far too early.

It's also a day to encourage action to create more and better support for grieving parents.

Banff - Airdrie Conservative MP Blake Richards released a statement to remember the day and encourage people to sign an online petition in support of Motion 110, a motion he has introduced to get the government to study the impact on parents who have suffered the loss of an infant child and look at ways of improving the level of compassion and support for those parents.  

"This is a day that we commemorate the lives of those who have lost infant children at a young age, whether it's to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) or pre-natal death.  It's a time that we remember those children but it's also a time when we want to try to raise awareness of the issues surrounding it."

According to the Richards statement, under the current system, parents who have lost a child under the age of 12 months lose their parental benefits immediately.  They also are required to pay back any benefits received in the time period following the death of their child.  Richards believes this is a serious flaw in the Canadian system that hurts many parents each year. 

"Grieving parents need to be given time and support to heal," says Richards.  "Often they are forced to return to work prematurely due to financial hardships.  These families shouldn't have to suffer any further due to government regulations.  Our system can be improved to provide better care and support for these parents." 

Richards has brought forward Motion 110 which would have the government study the impact on parents who have suffered the loss of an infant child and look at ways of improving the level of compassion and support for them.  Richards also hopes the motion will raise awareness of SIDS, something that he says happens more often than people realize.

Richards says the online petition and letter writing campaign will help raise awareness and get other politicians to support the motion.  He expects it will be debated at 2nd Reading in the House of Commons in early 2018.  After being debated in Parliament it must pass a vote in the House of Commons before it would move to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities to be studied.

Richards says, "There is work to be done to ensure that a network of support is built around parents who have suffered this unimaginable tragedy.  Together, we can provide this support.  On this day, let's take a moment to remember all those who have been affected."

You can get more information on Motion 110 here.

Visit here to sign the online petition in support of Motion 110.