Language, Literacy and Healthy Development: The Work of CAPC and CPNP Projects

Working in partnership

Partnerships enhance the vitality and efficiency of CAPC and CPNP projects, offering multiple perspectives and the advantage of considered expertise in literacy education.

In the Literacy Matters survey, projects reported that they partner with a variety of organizations, including public libraries, family and community literacy agencies, band councils, and schools. For the most part, opportunities to partner are defined locally. Once familiar with the literacy organizations and agencies in their communities, projects can determine whether to work collaboratively or use them as referral resources, or some combination of the two.

CAPC/CPNP community calendars keep participants informed about community events and resources. Excerpted from Community Resources calendar and information. Submitted by Barb Desjardins, In A Good Way. Brandon, MB.

Addressing common concerns

In the Literacy Matters survey, projects were asked to rate issues according to their degree of importance in supporting the literacy needs of CAPC and CPNP participants. Local discussions around many of these issues are ongoing. Clearly it is important to consider how common concerns might inform policy at the project regional and national level. The issues most frequently identified by CAPC and CPNP projects could provide a useful starting point. They are: insufficient funds; the challenges of providing adequate transportation; program uptake and retention; differences between the level of funding available and the intensity and duration of programming required to make long term impacts on the lives of families and communities; meeting individual needs of participants, and recruiting and retaining qualified staff.

Literacy websites

• National Adult Literacy Database (NALD)- Family Literacy Directory
  <www.nald.ca/Famlit/common/intro.asp>
  <www.nald.ca/CLR/family.htm>
• Northwest Territories Literacy Council
  <www.nwt.literacy.ca/resource/Links.htm>
• Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs
  <www.frp.ca>
• Centre for Family Literacy
  <www.famlit.ca>
• Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-being
  <www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/childhood-youth>
• Child and Family Canada
  <www.cfc-efc.ca>
• Family Programmes (U.K.)
  <www.familyprogrammes.org>
• Family Literacy Best Practices Guide (Nova Scotia)
  <http://cehlibrary.ednet.ns.ca/pages/famlit/index.html>
• Frontier College
  <www.frontiercollege.ca>
• National Centre for Family Literacy (U.S.)
  <www.famlit.org>
• National Children's Alliance (Canada)
  <www.nationalchildrensalliance.com>
• National Literacy and Health Program (Ottawa)
  <www.nlhp.cpha.ca>
• Performers for Literacy
  <www.nald.ca/pfl.htm>
• The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy (U.S.)
  <www.barbarabushfoundation.com>

Resources & Publishers

In addition to the programs reviewed, these resources and publishers were mentioned by one or more projects as being particularly useful.

• Come Read With Me <http://www.nald.ca/lpq/read.htm>

• Books for Children and Families
  Early Childhood Centre
  University of New Brunswick
  Faculty of Education
  P.O. Box 4400
  Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5A3
  Phone: (506) 453-5024
  Fax: (506) 458-7841
  Website: <www.unbf.ca/education/ecc>
  E-mail: eccentre@unb.ca

• Dads Make a Difference
  Concordia University
  275 Syndicate St. N
  St. Paul, MN 55104-5494
  <http://www.dadsmakeadifference.org>

• Eagle Crest books <www.eaglecrestbooks.com>

• Growing Healthy Together books (prenatal and postnatal) and videos
  that target teens effectively.
  Family Service Association
  2 Carlton Street
  Toronto, ON M5B 1J3
  Phone: (416) 586-9777 ext. 224
  Fax: (416) 586-0031
  E-mail: guhd@web.net

• Health Canada and provincial governments
  <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/>
  <http://canada.gc.ca/othergov/prov_e.html>
  CAPC/CPNP booklets:
  <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dca-dea/programs-mes/npf_main_e.html

• Healthy Start for Mom & Me (prenatal and postnatal posters)
  400 Edmonton Street, 2nd floor
  Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2M2
  Phone: (204) 949-5354
  Fax: (204) 949-4800

• The Aboriginal HIPPY program from the Chief Dan George
  Foundation at SFU.
  Community Education Programs
  Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre
  Suite 124 - 515 West Hastings St.
  Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3
  E-mail: hippy@sfu.ca

• Morning Glory Press
  6595 San Haroldo Way
  Buena Park, CA 90620
  Phone: 714.828.1998 or 888.612.8254
  Fax: 714.828.2049 or 888.327.4362
  Email: jwl@morninggloryprpess.com
  <http://www.morningglorypress.com/>

• National Film Board of Canada
  Sales and Customer Service (D-10)
  P.O. Box 6100 Station
  Centre-Ville Montreal
  (QC) H3C 3H5
  Phone: 1-800-267-7710
  Fax: (514) 283-7564
  <http://www.nfb.ca/e/index.html>

• Native Reflections: for posters, calendars etc. Learning Cree Language
  Books: Duval Publishing in Edmonton 1-800-267-6187

• Nobody's Perfect:
  Phone: (613) 952-1220
  Fax: (613) 952-1556
  E-mail: DCA_public_inquiries@hc-sc.gc.ca
  <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dca-dea/family_famille/nobody_e.html>

• Nutrition Bingo:
  Indian and Northern Health Services
  Contact: In A Good Way
  Brandon Friendship Centre
  321-9th Street
  Brandon, MB R7A 4A8

• Our Children, Our Way videos
  Red River College,
  2055 Notre Dame Avenue,
  Winnipeg, MB R3H 0J9
  <http://www.rrc.mb.ca/ece/resources.htm>

• Scott O'Dell's Black Star, Bright Dawn
  <http://www.scottodell.com/>
  Email: fishvenus@scottodell.com

• Sunburst Visual Media
  PO Box 11210
  Tempe, AZ 852840021
  Phone: 1-800-431-1934
  Fax: 1-888-803-3908
  E-mail: service@sunburstvm.com
  <http://www.sunburstvm.com/product_store/index.jsp>

• Today's Parent <www.todaysparent.com>