• healthy pregnancy, birth and infancy
• parenting and family supports
• early childhood development, learning and care
• community supports.

In many provinces this led to the creation of what is commonly called “early years” centres. In some, but not all, jurisdictions the programs that focus on early years development have worked closely with adult literacy programs. In some cases, however, it is assumed that parents or caregivers have sufficient literacy skills to be the child’s first and foremost important teacher.

During the same time frame, some provincial and territorial governments began to once again provide funding for family literacy initiatives. For many provinces and territories this “wave” of funding lasted until mid 2004 or so. Some provincial and territorial governments have continued to fund family literacy.

Currently some provincial and territorial governments allow adult literacy program funding to be used for family literacy activities. In Manitoba, for example, criteria for funding eligibility not only linked family literacy to the needs of the caregiver but to the whole family. The funding criteria note that family literacy programs:

• should be offered separately from other program provision
• will address the literacy needs of adult caregivers as well as those of children
• will identify program goals and outcomes in terms of the family as a whole and how it functions within the larger community.
• will operate in conjunction with a successful existing literacy program or with another program that provides services to families. ^{Footnote 2}

There is strong evidence that fund-raising plays a key role in the provision of family literacy programs and services that are provided by literacy programs. For example, many local community-based programs hold annual events such as silent auctions or raffles.

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