Who delivers family literacy in Nova Scotia?

Family literacy programs and/or services have been provided by:

• various government and community departments have provided access to programs or funding to create programs or services. Education, health, libraries, justice and community/social services, as examples.
• communities with a specific culture or heritage background have also provided programs and services. The Acadian community, the African-Nova Scotian community and the Mi’kmaq community, for example.
• service organizations (Rotary Clubs, for example), churches and family resource centres have also provided some type of family literacy programming.

In 2002, the Family Literacy Advisory Group for Nova Scotia (FLAG-NS) was formed. Initially FLAG-NS was hosted by the Colchester-East Hants Public Library and funded by the National Literacy Secretariat and the NS Department of Education. Currently, FLAG-NS represents an inter-sectoral group through regional representation on a provincial advisory team. The Department of Education chairs the consortium and a representative from the Department is also a member. While the Department does not provide any project-based funding for this group it does cover costs for meetings.

Since 2002, FLAG-NS has:

• created “Best Practice” guidelines
• provided Foundation Training in Family Literacy (from the Centre for Family Literacy in Alberta)
• developed a family literacy database of programs and services
• provided opportunities (face-to-face and online) for practitioners to share resources, information, research and knowledge
• approved a strategic plan for family literacy.

The Halifax Youth Foundation, in partnership with Issaic Killiam Walton Hospital and the Department of Education, provides a program called “Read to me!” Like Books for Babies, mothers receive a visit to explain the importance of reading to children from birth. After their hospital stay, parents receive book bags containing books for reading to their infants, along with tips on how to read and talk to their young children. This program is in addition to the Family Learning Initiative Endowment Fund mentioned above.