Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) can happen when a baby is exposed to alcohol before they are born. This is called prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). PAE can change how a baby’s brain grows, which can change how they think and act. A team at the Manitoba FASD Centre created the Building Circles of Support program to help caregivers and other adults who support children with PAE. We wanted to find out if this program helped people learn more about PAE and FASD. We also wanted to learn if caregivers understood their child’s behaviour better, and felt more confident in caring for their child after the program.
After going to the Building Circles of Support program, people said they liked the program and learned a lot. Our early results show that caregivers felt better about their child’s behaviour and more confident about how to care for them. People also shared ideas for other topics that other caregivers and adults might want to learn, like how PAE affects sleep or how to find help in the community. They also told us what made it hard for them to come to the sessions. This feedback helps us make Building Circles of Support better so more people can learn and get the support they need.