Support for New Parents

Are you a new parent who’s looking for information on government and community programs and services? 

There are many government programs and community services available to new parents to ensure you and your baby are safe and healthy. These include programs to support your mental and physical health, income support, information on how to ensure you’re giving your baby the nourishment and care they need to thrive, and more. 

This is an important, exciting time in your life. It can also be stressful for many new parents. You’re not alone. There are supports to help you and your baby stay well.

If you have trouble meeting some basic needs, taking care of yourself and a young child can be especially difficult. Here are some examples of unmet needs you may have:

• a safe place to live
• access to healthy food
• help leaving an unhealthy relationship
• access to postnatal care 
• counselling for mental health or addictions 
• transportation to medical appointments

There are government and community supports focused on meeting these and other unmet needs you may have. 

If you are an expectant parent and would like information on programs and services that might be available to support you during pregnancy, click here. 

Where to go for help

If you’re a new parent and you’re not sure where to turn or how to find help, these are the main channels for information and support:

1. The Department of Social Development: Call 1-833-733-7835 during regular business hours and speak with a screener about some of your financial or other needs such as housing or food. 
2. Public Health New Brunswick: The Healthy Families, Healthy Babies Program provides home visits with a nurse and a dietitian. To see if you qualify, call your local Public Health Office. Click here for Horizon Health offices and here for Vitalité.
3. First Nations Health Centres: If you live in an Indigenous community, click here to find a health centre near you.
4. Department of Health: Click here to get information on topics such as infant feeding and COVID-19. See more below under “Help staying healthy.”
5. Family Resource Centres: Click here for the New Brunswick Association of Family Resource Centres and a list of all of the centres in the province and how to contact each. They offer free programs, including drop-ins, parent education and support groups, postnatal nutrition programs, toy and resource-lending libraries and other family-related services.
6. 211: Call this free, 24-hour hotline to find out how to access community, government and social supports in your area. Click here to visit the 211 website. Enter your city and add a term in the search bar, such as “parenting.”

A closer look at the programs, services and information to help you:

1. Help for you and your baby to stay healthy: 

• Healthy Families, Healthy Babies Program: Prenatal and postnatal home visits with a public health nurse and a dietitian to help ensure you stay healthy. Also provides milk vouchers and prenatal vitamins. To see if you qualify, call your local Public Health Office. Click here for Horizon Health offices and here for Vitalité.
• Breastfeeding Resources: Click here for details about a breastfeeding class and click here for a list of breastfeeding resources in your area. Click here for a breastfeeding group on Facebook. Go here for a directory of breastfeeding-friendly places.  
• How to Feed Your Baby with Infant Formula: This brochure tells you what you need to know to feed your baby as safely as possible. Click here to view or download. 
• Loving Care: This series of four books for parents of children from birth to age 3 has information to help young families stay healthy. Three of the Loving Care books focus on babies and children at specific ages—birth to six months, six to 12 months, and one to three years. The fourth book—Loving Care: Parents and Families—is helpful to families, whatever your child’s age. Click here for links to the series. 
• Safe Sleep for Your Baby: Click here for a booklet and here for a video on safe sleep arrangements. If you have questions or concerns about safe sleeping for your baby: 1. You can call a local public health nurse. Click here for Horizon Health offices and here for Vitalité. 2. You can reach out to the Department of Social Development by calling 1-833-733-7835. Staff there can contact your public health nurse or refer you to Public Health for individual support. 3. If your child has medical conditions, it’s important to follow the advice of your healthcare provider and receive regular medical follow-up.
• Healthy Toddler Assessment: For all children between the ages of 18 months and two years. During the assessment, a public health nurse will evaluate your child’s growth and development, provide advice and answer any questions you may have, as well as refer to professionals or services if needed. To make an appointment, contact your local Public Health office. Click here for Horizon Health offices and here for Vitalité.
• Your Child’s Teeth: This brochure provides information on how to care for your child’s teeth, from birth through to early childhood. Click here to see the brochure.
• Healthy Smiles, Clear Vision: A dental and vision plan for children of low-income families. To be eligible, you must meet the income requirement and:
  • Live in New Brunswick
  • Have dependent child(ren) aged 18 years old or younger
  • Not have dental and vision coverage through any other government program or private insurance plan

For more information, click here to visit the website. For the application form and contact information, click here. 

• Talk With Me: This program provides free access to speech-language services. If there are any concerns about a young child’s language development, speech-language pathologists are available for parent/child consultations. Open to all children from birth up to school entry. To find out more, contact your local School District. For Anglophone School Districts, click here. For Francophone School District contacts, click here. 
• Covid-19: For information on vaccines and breastfeeding, click here and here. For parent information on Covid-19, click here. 
• Immunizations: For everything you need to know about immunizations, visit the main Public Health page on the topic by clicking here. To view the NB Routine Immunization Schedule, click here. For contact information for your local Public Health office, click here. 
• Government of Canada: Click here for a variety of programs and information on healthy infancy and childhood.
• Sexual Health Clinics: Click here for details and here for a clinic list.

2. Help with your finances: 

• Postnatal Benefit Program: This program offers financial aid for new mothers to offset the increased cost of food. This benefit may be paid to eligible new mothers for a maximum of four months after the birth of your baby. To qualify, you must be: a resident of New Brunswick, show proof of pregnancy and have a net family income of less than $29,000 a year. 

• First Nations Postnatal Benefit Program: This program offers financial aid to women with a newborn baby living in a First Nations Community. If your annual family income after taxes was less than $29,000 last year, you may qualify for financial support to help you eat well after the birth of your baby. Click here for more information.

• Social Assistance Program: This financial support is for people who cannot afford basic living costs such as food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities. It can also help you access programs to transition to employment. 

Note: To apply for either the Postnatal Benefit Program or Social Assistance, call the Department of Social Development at 1-833-733-7835. Click here to begin the application process online for Social Assistance.

• Health Card: If you need help paying for health services or medical supplies that are not covered by other plans but you do not receive Social Assistance, you may still qualify for a Health Card. For more information, click here to visit the website. Scroll down to the ‘Health Card Only’ section. Or call Social Development at 1-833-733-7835.

• Daycare Assistance Program: Helps families access financially affordable, quality childcare at an approved daycare facility. The program doesn’t cover the full daycare cost. Parents are responsible for paying any difference between the actual daycare cost and the subsidy amount approved. For more information, including eligibility and how to apply, click here to visit the website. Or call Social Development at 1-833-733-7835. 
• Designated Center – Parent Subsidy Program: Assists low- and middle-income families with the cost of childcare at a designated New Brunswick Early Learning Centre. Support is based on a sliding scale that considers childcare fees, the number of children under the age of five not attending school and total annual gross household income. For more information, click here. Or call Social Development at 1-833-733-7835.

3. Help with housing: 

There are options available to help you, including housing programs for people on a low-income, homeless shelters, women’s shelters and facilities for young mothers. 

• Call the 211 hotline or click here to visit the website. Enter your city and click on the icon that describes your need, such as housing, homelessness or another area of life with which you need help. 
• Social Supports NB: Click here to find information on housing programs.

4. Help with transportation: 

There are services available to help you get to appointments, get groceries and other essentials.

• New Brunswick Community Transportation Service: This provincial network of non-profit organizations offers affordable, accessible transportation through volunteer drivers. For a list of local service providers, click here.
• Call the 211 hotline or click here to visit its website. Enter your city and click on the icon for transportation. 

5. Help with accessing food: 

If you struggle to feed yourself and your baby, there are options. 

• 211: Call the 211 hotline or click here to visit the website to find out how to get food through food banks and other organizations.
• New Brunswick Food Depot Alimentaire: Click here to find a map and list of towns and cities with food banks across the province through the New Brunswick Association of Food Banks. Find your municipality to learn what food resources are available near you.
• Community Inclusion Networks: Click here to find a map of New Brunswick and then click on your region for contact information for your area. These networks can provide information about food security. 

6. Help with unhealthy relationships:

If you’re being abused, there are supports and services available. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. 

• Transition houses, domestic violence outreach workers, second stage housing or crisis lines: Click here for a detailed list.
• Staying Safer (EVO) app: Click here for details on this free app that connects women in New Brunswick with services and other information about safety planning when they are leaving an unhealthy relationship or living in a violent one.
• Supports in Indigenous communities: Click here for a directory of services available to people who have experienced abuse.
• Click here for more information about leaving an abusive relationship and where to get help with places to live and other needs.

7. Help with staying mentally well & with addictions:

• Mental Health and Addiction Services: Contact your primary health provider or your local Addiction and Mental Health Services office. For the office in your region, click here and scroll down to find the map.
• 211: Call the 211 hotline or click here to visit its website. Enter your city and click on the icon for “Mental health and addictions” to find government and community-based services.
• Bridge the gapp: This new online resource puts guidance and support for mental health at your fingertips. Click here for more information.
• The Hope for Wellness Helpline: This 24-hour crisis line and online service offers counselling and crisis intervention to all Indigenous people across Canada at 1-855-242-3310. For more detail, click here.

8. Help with worries that you may abuse or neglect your child:

If you feel overwhelmed and afraid that you or someone you know may harm your child, there is help available to ensure they are safe. You can call the Department of Social Development at 1-833-733-7835, 24 hours a day. Tell them that you have concerns about your child’s safety. 

Adoption

Adoption is an option for new parents. If you want to know more about the process and determine if this is right for you, call the Department of Social Development at 1-833-733-7835. Let the screener know you are a new parent and would like to talk to a social worker about your options. A social worker will contact you and schedule an appointment. They will provide unbiased counselling about the best options for you, including adoption. This pre-decision counselling covers discussion and support around four different areas, including:

1. parenting your own child,
2. the other birth parent parenting your child,
3. developing a short-term care plan for your child, and 
4. adoption.