New Parenting Resource Available in French

A series of education booklets, called Loving Care, are now available in both English and French from Nova Scotia's public health services. Loving Care will help moms and dads navigate their way through the joys and challenges of raising healthy and happy children.

"I am very pleased that these booklets are now available in French," said Minister of Acadian Affairs Chris d'Entremont, today, Dec. 9.

"This government has been working hard to better meet the needs of our Acadian and francophone community. We are providing more services, resources and materials in French than ever before. These booklets will be a helpful addition to the range of material already available to parents in their language of choice."

All parents, including those who are Acadian or francophone, will benefit from the booklets featuring Nova Scotia families. The booklets help parents better recognize and build on their parenting strengths, with a focus on parent and child interaction, and growth and development. The booklets also complement public health programs and services already provided to support families, including home visits and pre-natal education.

"Children should have the best possible start in life," said Barry Barnet, Minister of Health Promotion and Protection. "Loving Care is one of many things we're doing to strengthen support for our children, youth and families. The early years are the most important and we want parents to have the health information they need in an easy-to-understand format."

Loving Care: Birth to Six Months, is the first of the series and provides need-to-know information in a way to help parents best respond to their baby's behaviour. The second booklet, Loving Care: Parents and Families, focuses on the health of parents and families and includes information to help parents identify and address their own health needs.

Acadian and francophone parents of children from birth to age three will start to receive the booklets this month. Plans are also in the works for two more booklets covering ages six to 12 months and one to three years.

"The booklet told me everything I wanted to know about taking care of my baby," said parent Renée Evans. "When I had my first baby, I was given a lot of reading material, but I had trouble finding what I was looking for. When I had my second baby, I got the Loving Care booklet and it was much easier to find the information I needed."

The booklets received extensive input from Nova Scotian families through focus testing by moms and dads, including Acadians and francophones, anglophones, African Nova Scotians, Aboriginal Peoples and newcomers to Canada.

The booklets are available from public health offices and on the Department of Health Promotion and Protection website at www.gov.ns.ca/hpp .