Bahamas

Establishes the period of maternity leave of no less than 12 weeks, during which the Employer must issue the payment of a minimum sum equivalent to 33.33% of the portion of her wages which does not exceed the National Insurance ceiling on insurable wage. Additionally, it states that an employee who is employed for at least six months is entitled to family eave without pay for a period not exceeding one week for the birth of a child, or the death or illness of a child, spouse of parent.

Establishes the conditions for the maternity benefit and the marternity grant, which shall be awarded in case of the pregnancy and confinement of a woman who is an insured person. Maternity benefit shall be awarded to a woman for a continuous period of 13 weeks starting from the day which is six weeks before the expected date of confinement, or from the day following the day the woman stops remunerative work in respect of her confinement. The weekly rate of maternity benefit shall be 66.66% of the average weekly insurable wage or income of the insured person, paid by National Insurance. Additionally, the maternity grant is defined as a lump-sum payment of $400 that shall be made to an insured woman who has been engaged in an occupation as an employed or self employed person and has paid contributions for at least fifty contributions weeks, to meet the additional expenses incurred by the mother in the feeding period.

This act establishes several provisions regarding the lack of parental care and regulates foster care placements in charge of providing them temporarily.