When the federal government announced changes to parental leave late last year, Lori-Anne Mikkelson of Porters Lake, N.S., thought it could be beneficial to her.

With parental leave extended to up to 18 months, Mikkelson was hoping it would mean she would get to take an extra six months after she recently gave birth to her third son, Carson.

"When I applied for my parental leave in March there was the option to take it over 61 weeks or take it over 35, so I chose the 61," said Mikkelson. "It wasn't until I informed my employer on the birth of my son that I was told I would be ineligible to take that leave." Mikkelson would also have qualified for up to 15 weeks of employment insurance maternity leave on top of the parental leave time.

Mikkelson, a junior high teacher in public school in Gaetz Brook, did some further digging.

Three-month-old Carson is one of three young boys in the household. (Paul Palmeter/CBC) She was told the 18-month parental leave was only available to federal employees in Nova Scotia or those in the private sector where managers are allowing their employees to take the leave.

The Nova Scotia government has not legislated the changes.

But in emails between Mikkelson and the office of Keith Colwell, her Liberal MLA, Mikkelson has been told the provincial government is looking into it.

"The province will begin dealing with this new federal legislation in late summer," one email stated. "This will mean a change in the Provincial Labour Standard Code to allow for the change."

The federal extension to parental leave increases the time off a parent can take, but it does not increase the amount of money received.

The payments would be reduced and paid out over the longer period.

Mikkelson says it is "really infuriating" that 18 months of parental leave isn't available to all Canadians. (Paul Palmeter/CBC ) The time at home would have made a big difference for Mikkelson, who also has a three-year-old son, Madden, and a 20-month-old son, Mackenzie.

"We are going to be in the position now where we will eventually have all three of our kids in daycare and a 12-month-old child position is very difficult to come by these days," she said. "so that's why I thought the 18 months would be perfect for us.

"To find that I'm unable to take this, it's really infuriating and it's frustrating to think that this isn't available to all Canadians."

Consultation planned for the fall

The provincial Labour Department has committed to consulting on the extended leave. Those consultations are being planned for the fall.

But the timing has not been finalized for any provincial legislation.

Provincial governments in Ontario and Alberta have already made the changes. Manitoba is pushing to make the change, too.

Mikkelson says the six-month difference on when she goes back to work in the classroom will also have an impact on students.

"Right now, I'm due to go back to work in March, 2019, but if it was 18 months it would be September, 2019," said Mikkelson.

"That would give someone a full-year teaching position, which would be much easier to fill and I would then be going back to school with a fresh batch of students in September."