Backgrounder on Government of Canada and FASD

Acting on FASD is a major commitment of the Government of Canada and of the Provinces and Territories.

• Since 1987, four Standing Committees on Health; the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies; the National Advisory Committee on FASD; and, Private Members' Bills in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999, have all recommended comprehensive strategies on FASD.

• In 1996, sixteen national health and allied associations identified the use of alcohol during pregnancy as a "national health concern" and committed to identifying and implementing prevention strategies to reduce incidences of FASD.

• In 1999, the Government of Canada created the National FASD Initiative through the expansion of the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP). With $5M ongoing, the intent of the three year, $11M initiative of the federal Health Portfolio was to capitalise on and to further develop Canada's knowledge and expertise on FASD by building on existing programs, services and experiences of national and local health and allied professional organisations, parenting/caregiver associations, provinces and territories, and Aboriginal communities.

• In September 2000, the Government of Canada and Provincial/Territorial (P/T) governments reached an agreement on Early Childhood Development (ECD), in which the Government of Canada dedicated approximately $500M annually to support the P/T governments in early childhood development programs and services. Consistent with the agreement, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and the Yukon have designated FASD as a priority and have continued to invest in FASD programs and services. Overall, federal contributions in support of the ECD Agreement will reach $3.2 billion over the period of 2001-2002 to 2007-2008.

• In 2002, the Government of Canada further committed to FASD under the five-year, $320M Federal Strategy on ECD for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children, in which the Government of Canada invests approximately $15M annually to support the development of prevention and early intervention measures for First Nation communities; enhance training for service providers; develop practical screening tools and improve parent/caregiver supports for affected families. These investments are in keeping with commitments in the 2001, 2002, and 2004 Speeches from the Throne.

• More recently, under Canada's Drug Strategy (renewed in 2003), the Government of Canada provided an additional $2M/2yrs ($1M in 2004-05 and 2005-06) for the National FASD Initiative to accelerate the development and dissemination of diagnostic guidelines and screening tools, as well as training and education resources for health care providers. This functions as a bridge for the implementation of a long-term integrated strategy, which broadens the scope of current federal activities and contributes to the implementation of effective pan-Canadian prevention and mitigation measures.

• Subsequently, in March 2005, at the time of the release of the Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Canadian guidelines for diagnosis as a Canadian Medical Association Journal Supplement, http://www.cmaj.ca the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), co-hosted a national forum on the FASD diagnostic guidelines. The purpose of the forum was to explore the next steps in the implementation of the Guidelines and recommend priorities for future action.

• As a result, the Public Health Agency of Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, hosted a national thematic workshop on FASD. This thematic workshop was part of the Canada's Drug Strategy consultations leading to the development of the National Framework for Action to Reduce the Harms Associated with Alcohol, and Other Drugs and Substances in Canada.

• Ongoing consultations with the provinces and territories, community-based programs and organizations, national and local parents/caregivers, and other front-line and professional organizations have revealed calls for continued federal leadership to address the serious health, social and economic impacts of FASD, and alcohol use and abuse more generally. These stakeholders have also indicated a renewed commitment to collaborate on comprehensive approaches to FASD.