Tomorrow is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Prevention and Support Day in B.C., and community outreach is taking place throughout the month to help raise awareness about the disorder and the struggles that families living with FASD go through every day.

Several organizations have teamed up to kick off a new FASD awareness campaign with a series of new posters around the community, as well as a series of "FASD facts" in the local newspaper. New FASD awareness training sessions will be launched and made available to community groups, non-profit and government organizations, businesses, and schools. The sessions will be adapted to meet the needs of each group requesting them.

By the end of the month, organizers will unveil details of a regional FASD conference, "Hope in Action, FASD - A Caring Community." The conference will be held in Smithers in February 2012.

Throughout the year, many community organizations provide services to support families raising children and youth with FASD in Smithers.

• The Bulkley Valley Child Development Program provides multidisciplinary assessments and key worker support services to children and youth aged 0-19 with complex behavioural conditions (including FASD) as well as their families.
• The Dze L K'ant Friendship Centre's Full Circle Support Program offers a variety of prevention and support services including parenting support, life skills training and advocacy.
• Smithers Community Services Association offers the FASD Services program, which increases awareness and prevention and improves the support available to individuals living with FASD.

Quick Facts:

• FASD is an umbrella term that describes the range of effects that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects can include physical, mental, behavioural and/or learning disabilities with lifelong implications.
• Health Canada estimates approximately nine in every 1,000 infants are born with FASD.
• B.C. is considered a world leader in the field of FASD prevention, diagnosis, assessment, intervention and support.
• In March 2008, B.C. released a 10-year provincial plan called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Building on Strengths (2008-2018). The plan establishes a guide to provincial, regional and community efforts to address FASD.

Learn More:

For more information on the BV Child Development Centre, visit: www.bvcdc.ca

For more information on the Dze L K'ant Friendship Centre, visit: www.dzelkant.com

For more information on Smithers Community Services Association, visit: www.scsa.ca

Contact:

Cindy Rose
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-1639