Community Action Committee for Bay St. George

This paper, written by the coordinator of the Community Action Committee for Bay St. George, describes how parents, caregivers and community organizations in rural Newfoundland have developed Family Resource Centres to help meet the health, social and developmental needs of young children. The Community Action Committee includes parents, caregivers and community partners. With assistance from Health Canada”s Community Action Program for Children, the Committee has established Family Resource Centres in all primary schools in the region. The centres provide a variety of social and educational programs for young children, parents and caregivers – services which are greatly needed in this area of rural isolation and high unemployment. In recent years, the Committee has expanded its mandate to include a Prenatal Nutrition Program (serving the Port au Port Peninsula) and outreach services to isolated communities in southwestern Newfoundland outside the Bay St. George region. The Committee”s emphasis on “People Helping People” has facilitated ongoing input from parents and has helped to ensure community involvement.

ISBN – 1-894159-85-3