Series consists of records that document the special initiatives of the Canadian Home and School Federation in the area of children's health, fitness, and safety. The Federation formed several committees over the years to address various issues of child health and safety such as smoking, child abuse, and nutrition. These committees gathered information about standards and issues, prepared advice for the membership, and initiated projects to increase awareness and take positive action. Since the 1960s, tobacco use by children had been a concern of the Federation which held several workshops on the issue. Health and Welfare Canada contracted the Federation to write, produce and distribute a parent information leaflet and a guide to holding meetings on smoking and children, to be used in conjunction with the Department's Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) anti-smoking program for elementary schools.
Child abuse and neglect had been a longstanding issue for the Federation and a national project produced a resource kit for parent awareness programs by local associations which received general approval. The use and abuse of drugs and alcohol was the subject of another draft resource kit, but this was only distributed widely in New Brunswick with the support of the provincial council on the issue. A country-wide project, in conjunction with the Canadian Public Health Association and the Canadian Association for School Health, was the distribution of a video on AIDS by provincial Home and School federations. The fitness and nutrition of schoolchildren was the subject of several national projects: a pamphlet for parents, resource material for the use of parent groups and schools, collaboration with Fitness Canada on the brochure "Let's Go Play", public radio announcements on the subject, and a leaflet and poster set, in conjunction with the National Literacy Project, headed "Life Style for Learning". During this period there was close association with other teaching and sports organizations concerned with physical education in schools.
