Information

February 1997

Community Action Program for Children and the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program

Introduction

In the February 18, 1997 Budget, the Government of Canada announced an additional $100 million over three years for two key federal community-based programs for young children, the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) and the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP). These measures complement new federal investments in the national child benefit system.

These programs build on very constructive partnerships with provinces, territories and stakeholders to provide the kinds of support families at risk need to help their children have a good start in life. In many jurisdictions, CAPC and CPNP have become an integral part of the support landscape for community-based programs and services for at-risk children.

Consistent with the recommendations of the National Forum on Health, this increase in funding for children's programs will provide the flexibility to move in new directions, address shortcomings and build on proven success.

Background

CAPC and CPNP address the needs of young pregnant women, young children and families living in conditions of risk across Canada. These community-based programs are the basis for the federal government's strategic investment in children. There are 748 CAPC and CPNP projects represented in over 500 communities across the country.

These programs have created over 1,000 jobs. Nearly 75 percent of employees live in the community served by these programs and over 200 CAPC/CPNP parents have taken positions as recruiters, trainers and resource mothers.

Joint Management

CAPC and CPNP are jointly managed by the federal and provincial and territorial governments through Joint Management Committees (JMCs). Administrative protocols ensure that the programs reflect provincial and territorial priorities and local conditions. These programs are models of how different levels of government can work together with community groups to deliver services at the local level.

CAPC

CAPC is a component of the Child Development Initiative. It is one of a series of steps taken in response to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

CAPC funds community coalitions to establish and deliver services that address the developmental needs of children aged 0 to 6 years whose health is at risk.

There are currently 474 ongoing projects in 316 communities reaching children living in low-income families; children living in teenage-parent families; children experiencing developmental delays, social, emotional or behavioural problems; abused and neglected children; immigrant and refugee children; and Métis, Inuit and First Nations children living off-reserve.

CAPC projects serve single-parent families (83%); Métis, Inuit or First Nations off- reserve (47%); recent immigrants and refugees (22%); and children with special needs (56%).

Services include parent training, home visits, one-on-one child development intervention, nutrition counselling, mobile units to isolated and rural areas, moms and tots programs, headstart programs, collective kitchens, and traditional aboriginal healing programs.

It is estimated that 28,000 children and parents/caregivers visit CAPC projects each week and project volunteers donate nearly 30,000 hours each month.

CPNP

The Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program, announced in July 1994, was one of the programs promised in the Red Book, Creating Opportunity. CPNP is a comprehensive program designed to provide food supplementation, nutrition counselling, support, referral and lifestyle counselling to pregnant women who are most likely to have unhealthy babies.

There are currently 274 ongoing projects in 227 communities reaching pregnant adolescents, youth at risk of becoming pregnant, pregnant women who abuse alcohol or other substances, pregnant women living in violent situations, pregnant women living in isolation or not having access to services, refugee and immigrant women, and Métis, Inuit and First Nations women.

Services include: one-on-one and group prenatal nutrition counselling, food supplements, collective kitchens, peer counselling, resource mothers, breastfeeding education and support, and post-partum support.

Projects are delivered in partnership with community organizations such as Rotary clubs, food banks, high schools, school boards, liquor control boards, physicians, public health units, religious groups and such professional organizations such as the Canadian Dietetic Association.