Fetal Alcohol Nova Scotia (FANS)
Lighting the way for awareness, education, support, and policy change.
What’s Happening…
We are gearing up for an busy autumn! Be part of the action!
Join us on Saturday, September 5, 2026 for our second annual FANS Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day Walk and Flag Raising. We will meet at 12:00 noon at “The Wave” on the boardwalk, then walk the short distance to Province House for a flag raising ceremony at 1:00 p.m. We would love to see you there!
Yes, FANS is hosting our 5th FASD conference!!
Friday, November 13, 2026
8:30 a.m.- 3:45 p.m.
Halifax Tower Hotel, 15 Lakelands Blvd., Halifax, N.S.
Register on Eventbrite. Register early to get the early bird special. Seats are limited.
“FASD Across the Lifespan - Living Well at Every Age”
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is lifelong. Children with FASD become teenagers. Teenagers with FASD become adults. Adults with FASD grow older.
Yet conversations about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) have too often focused on childhood, diagnosis, school, or crisis. This conference invites us to look at the bigger picture:
“What does it take for people with FASD and their families to live well across an entire lifetime?”
Hosted by Fetal Alcohol Nova Scotia (FANS) and inspired by soon to be published Living Well with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Nova Scotia Guide Across the Lifespan, this conference will bring together people with lived experience, families and caregivers, professionals, community organizations, researchers, service providers, and decision-makers for a day of learning, connection, and meaningful conversations. With a focus on first voice experience we will explore the FASD journey from pregnancy and the earliest years through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging.
Thank you to MLA Lisa Lachance for honouring our work…
On February 26, 2026, MLA Lisa Lachance, NDP House Leader presented a “Member’s Minute” to honour the work of FANS in the house.
Contact your MLA to stress the importance and urgency for the government to address FASD in Nova Scotia.
To find the contact information for your MLA, click here…
FANS distributed an FASD “Roadmap To Excellence” to the MLAs of the 65th Legislative Assembly as a response to Bill 107
We are gearing up our training!
One of our main focuses is sector training. We are booked for workshops and presentations with:
-St. FX Faculty of Education
-Mount St. Vincent Faculty of Education
-NSCC Early Childhood Education Support, Kingstec campus
-Family Service Nova Scotia
-Federation of Foster Families of Nova Scotia
-Nova Scotia Community Living Organizations
…with more to come!
To book your training contact us at:
fetalalcoholnovascotia@gmail.com
Let your voice be heard!
Tell the Houston government why FASD is a priority!
premier@novascotia.ca Phone: 902-424-6600
…Or meet with you local MLA to start the discussion! https://nslegislature.ca/members/profiles/contact
We need to talk about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
You know someone with FASD…
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a medical diagnosis for a lifelong, hidden disability that affects the brain and body of people who were prenatally exposed to alcohol.
Individuals with FASD will experience some degree of challenges with their daily living and executive functioning and need support with motor skills, physical health, learning, memory, attention, communication, emotional regulation, and social skills. Individuals with FASD have strengths and challenges and need support to reach their full potential.
FASD is recognized as one of the leading known causes of developmental disability in the western world. It affects conservatively 4% of the population, meaning about 40,000 of Nova Scotians live with FASD. The prevalence of FASD is greater than autism, Tourette’s Syndrome, Down Syndrome, and cerebral palsy combined. Canadian research indicates that FASD is 2.5 times more prevalent than autism alone. (CanFASD, 2018)
There is currently no annualized funding for services for families or individuals with FASD in Nova Scotia.
Want to know more? You have come to the right place. We can help.
Want to receive our informative newsletters? Email us, and we will put you on our mailing list.
fetalalcoholnovascotia@gmail.com
Service Areas
Diagnosis
Social Services
Living with FASD
Indigenous Services
Prevention
Health
Justice
