Printer-friendly versionGiving birth is quite a life-changing event on its own. Combine this with a new environment where you cannot find information in your own language, a whole set of new cultural values and expectations, and social structures to navigate through. You might start to understand the dramatic situation that some newcomers are experiencing when giving birth or raising their young children in Canada for the first time.
Ontario receives the largest number of immigrants and refugees in Canada. Many newcomers may not have sufficient literacy skills in English or French to read informational materials about services and supports available to them as expectant or new parents. There is a dearth of high quality, accessible material related to maternal and newborn issues in multiple languages.
The Best Start Resource Centre, a key program of Health Nexus, has adapted and translated some of its best brochures and booklets on topics related to preconception, pregnancy and early child development in eight languages (in addition to French and English):
To view and download these resources and to order print copies online, visit Best Start.