Growing Up with CAPC

Growing Up with CAPC
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The Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) supports projects designed to meet the developmental needs of children between the ages of 0 and 6. Projects target populations that, based on the determinants of health, are most likely to be at risk.

Through CAPC, the federal government provides ongoing funding to community-based projects that establish and deliver a set of integrated health and social programs to its children and families at risk. CAPC projects are jointly managed by federal, provincial and territorial governments and delivered through regional offices. Project workers customize services to meet the specific needs of their target population.

Priority is given to:

Families with low incomes
Families headed by teenage parents
Metis, Inuit and off-reserve First Nations children
Recently immigrated or refugee children
Children who live in remote or isolated communities
Children with developmental delays, social, emotional or behavioural problems
Children who have experienced abuse or neglect

More than 450 CAPC projects serve over 3,000 communities across Canada.

CAPC is, by virtue of its guiding principles, a flexible program. Targetting the same determinants of health and using the same guiding principles, each project delivers the services its community needs. Health Canada recognizes that it is OK for one community or project to look different from another. CAPC worker, Nova Scotia

10 years of Accomplishments

In its ten years of funding community-based programs for children, CAPC has gained expertise and nurtured relationships among a variety of social services providers and provincial and territorial governments. It has created a national network of project managers who share knowledge and learn from each other. CAPC has developed a service infrastructure that can be leveraged to enhance support for children and families at risk, and expanded to introduce new services to meet changing social and economic conditions. The expertise gained by CAPC can be used to consult and advise policy makers about current needs and issues facing Canada's children.

In a typical month participants include more than 60,000 children and 50,000 parents & caregivers.

Reaching Children and Families at Risk

Through CAPC, resources are allocated specifically to children, families and communities at risk, in an effort to equalize their opportunity to access and benefit from programming.

People come here because they have some serious issues in their life. Being here is a testament to the fact they are survivors and already have the strength and resiliency to pull through tough situations. We build on what they already have. CAPC worker, Alberta

Program Delivery and Flexibility

We operate from two rural family resource centres, a transition house, an early intervention agency, and two minivans. Our programs go wherever space is found free or at modest cost: local churches, community halls, fire halls, schools, a halfway house and participants' homes. We offer a wide range of services and programs for both parents and children. We work side by side. When something needs to change, it does. No fuss. No muss. CAPC worker

49% of projects serve rural areas
10% serve isolated communities (that have limited road access)
3% serve communities that are accessible by boat or plane only

Programs are delivered in a variety of languages to meet the linguistic diversity of participants.

Participant Involvement

The lived experience of participants is a key influence in designing CAPC projects. Participants' expertise makes them valuable contributors to project development and delivery.

* These figures do not add up to 100% due to multilingual programs.

We've been here three years and have seen kids grow up here. Seeing how they change, how they ask to come to the centre, is really great. CAPC worker, Saskatchewan

Best Practices

To promote health with children and families, CAPC project workers need specialized understanding about a large range of issues they will encounter, such as the implications of low literacy levels and poverty. They need to know and apply different adult education approaches in order to establish relationships with those who are resistant to typical programming efforts. CAPC projects have established and proven approaches, programming plans and resources, to successfully achieve the desired outcomes for children and families living across Canada.

Accessibility

CAPC ensures services are accessible by reducing barriers such as transportation and programming costs. It also ensures that programs are culturally appropriate, welcoming and conveniently located.

The CAPC project in Waterloo, Ontario has found creative solutions to manage transportation issues, including: providing outreach support to in-home daycare providers, linking with an existing volunteer driver network and fostering the development of family resource centres in small villages.

Partnerships

Partnering with other governments and agencies reduces duplication of services and service gaps, improves the quality of service to priority populations and improves coordination within the service network.

Projects have an average of 14 partners

Through a policy of hiring as many participants as possible to work at the centre, the CAPC project promotes women's self-confidence and develops their work skills. By giving them real work experience, the centre helps them prepare for jobs in the larger community. CAPC worker, Manitoba

Fostering Federal, Provincial and Territorial Relationships

Forging partnerships with provinces, territories and other agencies allows sharing of resources and increases the community's involvement in decision making.

98% of projects have partners (organizations that contribute to their management, coordination and/or service delivery)
90% of projects receive some donated or volunteer time

A Blending of Services

A major success of CAPC projects derives from partnering with other organizations and providing a single location where families can obtain information, referrals and access to medical and social services. Projects focus on promoting healthy individual lifestyles such as:

healthy eating
parenting skills
life skills
pregnancy prevention

Type of Project Partner

AHS 85
Other 13%
Cultural groups 16%
Housing Providers 17%
Aboriginal Organization 21%
Police/Justice 27%
Church/Religious Group 30%
Woment's Shelter/Crisis Centre 31%
Library/Literacy Groups 32%
Service club/Volunteer group 32%
Mental Health Agency 33%
CPNP 35%
Orgs providing basic necessities 38%
Local Govt. 39%
Child Protection Services 52%
Family/Early Childhood Resource 55%
Neighbourhood/Community Ass. 60%
Educational Institutions 87%

Innovative Programming

Collective kitchens
School readiness
Early literacy
Family-focussed drop-ins
Play groups
Street proofing programs
Community gardens
Support groups
Clothing exchanges
Toy lending libraries
Referrals to other services
Prison-based parenting program
Street level programs for substance abusing mothers
Culturally-based parenting programs

Sustainable Community Development

Community-based projects foster formal and informal relationships that make communities more self-reliant and equipped to manage issues as they arise.

Over 9,000 volunteers donate more than 70,000 hours of service to CAPC projects in a typical month.

Hiring from the area is a high priority, because it keeps the planning and decision-making within the community. CAPC worker, Saskatchewan

The existence of CAPC funding has been the foundation that has allowed many communities to continually identify and respond to problems on a continual basis. CAPC projects have recognized that healthy child development is dependent on broader influences. CAPC participant, PEI

Citizenship Building

I have gone from being someone who is scared to death of meeting people to talking with other parents, attending group activities and being on the Steering Committee of the CAPC project. This way, I am able to help with the future development of the program. CAPC worker, Ontario

Reaching Aboriginal Women and Children

Over half the Aboriginal population is made up of children and youth. From its inception, CAPC made it a priority to serve First Nations, Metis and Inuit women and children. A key mandate for CAPC is to provide programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate and accessible. Aboriginal women and children participate in over 30% of CAPC projects.

Guiding Principles

Children First: Children must be the primary considereation in CAPC projects.
Strengthening and Supporting Families: All sectors of Canadian society share the responsibility for children by supporting parents as they raise their children.
Equity and Accessibility: Children, regardless of culture and socio-economic status, are entitled to equal opportunities to develop to their full potential.
Partnerships and Collaboration: Holistic support for children and their families can only be achieved through the combined efforts of parents, families, communities, governments and service providers.
Community-Based: The community is viewed as the focus for decision-making and action.
Flexibility: In order to respond to the diversity of communities across Canada and the particular cirmumstances and changing needs of children and families, CAPC projects must be flexible.

What's Next?

Project and regional level evaluations have been conducted across the country. This year, CAPC is embarking on a nation wide evaluation in order to capture key outcomes and gain a unified perspective of children's needs across Canada. The results from the national evaluation can be used to identify best practices and apply them across communities.

For more information, contact:
Community-Based Programs
Jeanne Mance Building
Address Locator 1909C2
Ottawa, Canada K1A 0K9


	Last Updated: 2004-05-11		Important Notices