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- Having a Baby or Adopting
- Learning for Life
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- Finding Seniors' Resources
- Finding Health Care Resources
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- What to Do When Someone Dies
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Access Nova Scotia
Municipal Services
Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
Having a Baby or Adopting
Prepare yourself for birth or adoption with our quick links to information about employment insurance (EI), and maternity and parental benefits. We also have useful tips and information on the health, well-being, development, and care of children, as well as information about community outreach services. If you are considering adoption, learn more about eligibility and the process required for local and international adoption online.
Prenatal Care
You should follow the experts' advice when it comes to prenatal care. Here are some links that might be of interest:
- Midwives
- Family Physicians Accepting New Patients Find physicians accepting new patients in your area
- Having a Baby - IWK Health Centre
- Local Public Health Units
- Pregnancy, Infancy and Early Childhood
- Healthy Eating During Pregnancy
- A Healthy Pregnancy is in Your Hands
- The Hospital for Sick Children - Motherisk
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)
- Pregnancy and Newborn: Health Education Centre
- Active Living for Expectant Moms
- Family Support
Adoption
- Information about Adoption in Nova Scotia
- Adoption Council of Canada
- Nova Scotia Adoption Information Act
- International Adoption
Maternity and Parental Leave
Pregnancy leave is exclusively for a natural mother or an adoptive parent.
Midwives
Midwives offer a choice of home or hospital birth to women having a healthy, low-risk pregnancy. They provide care throughout pregnancy and birth for both mother and baby, and for the first six weeks afterwards.
- Midwifery in Canada - Nova Scotia Association of Nova Scotia Midwives
Multiple Births
Expecting more than one baby? There are organizations that help families cope and provide answers to many of the questions that may arise.
Post-natal Care
You should follow the experts' advice when it comes to postnatal care.
- Midwives
- Family Physicians Accepting New Patients Find physicians accepting new patients in your area
- Caring for Kids
- Immunization
- Breastfeeding La Leche League Canada
- Food & Nutrition
- Postpartum Depression
- Depression in Pregnancy
Safety
It's amazing how a child can change your life and how they are dependent on you to take care of them. Here are some links that may be useful:
- Information on Preventable Injuries - Healthy Canadians
- Safe Kids Canada
- First Aid and CPR Course Descriptions
- Child Safety Safety in the Car
- Consumer Product Safety (Health Canada)
- Garage Sale Vendors (Safety when planning a garage sale)
- Child Safety Link
Early Childhood Development Services
Support parents who need child care while attending training programs, or when working, by helping to pay the child care fees for children enrolled in full day licensed child care programs
- Department of Community Services May be able to help in getting supplementary aid for special assistive devices.
Child and Family Benefits
The Canada Child Tax Benefit and the Goods and Services Tax Credit are tax-free periodic payments made to eligible families.
Daycare
- A Directory of Nova Scotia Early Childhood Development Centres is available from Nova Department of Community Services.
- Child Care Connection NS
- SpeciaLink: The National Child Care Inclusion Network
- The Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
- Information on daycare licensing
- Certification Council of Early Childhood Educators of Nova Scotia
- Nova Scotia Day Care Act
- Day Care Regulations
Education Funding
RESPs are registered savings plans that allow savings to grow tax-free until your child enrolls in post secondary education.
- RESP - Registered Education Savings Plans Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
- Education Savings for a Child
Staying Home to Raise Your Child - Canada Pension
The Canada Pension Plan includes a provision for parents who stay home (or reduce their earnings) to care for a child. The Child Rearing Drop-out Provision protects parents against significant reductions in their future pensions.
Domestics/Nannies
You can locate a domestic or nanny through the yellow pages of your phone book under Nannies or some Employment Agencies have listings for domestics or nannies. The Department of Labour and Workforce Development has information regarding the employment standards relating to nannies or domestics.
Birth Registration
The parent receives the registration form in the hospital at the time of the birth. When the form is completed, it is submitted to the Local Division Registrar at the hospital, who signs it and then forwards it to the Vital Statistics Section, Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.
Nova Scotia Birth Certificate
A birth certificate is an official document which includes a person's legal name, date of birth and place of birth, and is issued by the province in which the person was born. If the person was born in another province or country you will need to contact that province or country, in order to replace the birth certificate. Contact Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations for further information.
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Nova Scotia Health Card
A Nova Scotia Health Card proves that a person is registered for insured health services in Nova Scotia. You will need three pieces of identification in order to replace your Nova Scotia Health Card. For information contact the Department of Health..
Canadian Passport
A passport is an internationally accepted document for proof of identification and citizenship. You will need an original document proving Canadian citizenship in order to replace or get a new passport. For more information, contact Passport Canada.
Social Insurance (Number) Card
A Social Insurance (Number) Card is a piece of identification that has a person's name and Social Insurance Number on it. It is required for many federal programs. You will need a primary form of identification in order to get a replacement Social Insurance Number (SIN) card. Contact Human Resources and Skills Development Canada to obtain a another card.