Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP)

The Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) provides funding to community groups to help to improve the health of pregnant women, new mothers and their babies, who face challenges that put their health at risk, such as:

• Poverty
• Teen pregnancy
• Social and geographic isolation
• Substance use
• Family violence

The Public Health Agency of Canada currently funds 236 CPNP projects serving over 45,000 pregnant people, parents and caregivers across Canada each year.

Goals of the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program

Improve the health of women and their babies by:

• Increasing the number of babies born at a healthy weight
• Promoting and supporting breastfeeding

Promote and create partnerships within communities to:

• Strengthen community capacity
• Increase support for vulnerable pregnant women and new mothers

Ensure culturally sensitive prenatal support for:

• Indigenous women
• Recent immigrants

Types of support

CPNP sites adapt their activities to meet the needs of the people they serve. Their programs may include:

• Nutrition counselling
• Prenatal vitamins
• Food and food coupons
• Food preparation training
• Counselling in prenatal health and lifestyle
• Breastfeeding education and support
• Education and support on infant care and child development
• Referrals to other agencies and services

Evaluating the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program

• Most recent CPNP evaluation
• Infographic: 25 years of CPNP

Funding

CPNP provides $26.5 million in annual funding to community groups to improve the health of vulnerable pregnant people and their infants.

All funding for CPNP projects is currently committed.

Read about the Public Health Agency of Canada's grants and contributions programs, how and why we give funding and who has had funding from us.

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