The Community Action Program for Children and the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program are offered through cooperation with provincial and territorial governments. Joint Management Committees, including representation from provincial or territorial departments such as health, social services, and education as well as Health Canada, make decisions regarding funding and management of programs. In Aboriginal Head Start, program development is coordinated through provincial and territorial committees including Health Canada and project representatives. In addition to providing ongoing support to community projects funded under these programs, CYS is partnering with community projects in facilitating training, networking, and support among projects. Annual conferences bring project workers together to share and learn from each other and from resource people in areas such as child health and development, program delivery, Aboriginal and Inuit culture, health promotion, and evaluation.
Services incorporate education and intervention activities.
The Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program supports comprehensive community based programs by building upon existing prenatal health programs or establishing new programs where none previously existed. Programs provide vitamins and nutritional supplements and dietary counselling, and use education, referral to other services and counselling on lifestyle issues such as alcohol abuse, and other factors including stress and family violence to improve birth outcomes with at risk women. AHS prepares young children for their school years by meeting their emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs. An important focus is the teaching of First Nations and Inuit culture and language.