Support for Children and Families
Nova Scotia is moving forward with two pilot sites for Growing Together, a program aimed at providing long-term support to overburdened families and promoting healthy early child development. The announcement was made today by Premier Russell MacLellan.
Dartmouth and Northside-Victoria County will be the pilot sites for Growing Together Nova Scotia. Using a unique team approach, each community will work together with parents, support workers and other professionals to design, implement and support activities which reflect the needs, desires and resources of their respective communities.
Growing Together Nova Scotia will join two other sites in Toronto and Montreal to demonstrate how this model of prevention and early intervention is adaptable to diverse locations.
"We can all appreciate the challenges that come with parenting, and the value of supporting children throughout their developing years," said Premier MacLellan. "Growing Together Nova Scotia will help us provide direct support to Nova Scotia families who need it most."
Growing Together will assist families and children through early screening of mothers and newborns, ongoing and regular monitoring and assessment of families, service referrals and community-based child and parent-child centered programs. Home visits are another important component of the program.
"Growing Together Nova Scotia is a tremendous example of how public, private and not-for-profit organizations at national, provincial and local levels join together to make a difference in the lives of families in need," said Nancy Birnbaum, president and CEO of Invest in Kids Foundation.
The departments of Community Services and Health, the IWK Grace Health Centre, Invest in Kids Foundation and the Central and Eastern Regional Health Boards have joined to deliver this program in Nova Scotia. Growing Together is spearheaded by the Invest in Kids Foundation. This charitable organization was established in 1992 to promote the healthy development and well-being of Canada's youngest children.
Growing Together Nova Scotia is funded through a partnership of Invest in Kids Foundation, the Government of Nova Scotia and the IWK Grace Health Centre, as well as contributions from many of the community partners, including the two health boards.