The second of five volumes on the means by which Canadian communities can reduce the incidence of mental retardation, minimize existing impairment, and improve the quality of life of the mentally retarded, this booklet focuses on needed action to assure the health of babies, young children, and families. After an introduction, sections deal with the following topics: lifestyles and physical environments; importance of early identification and response; prenatal diagnosis; treating genetic disease or avoiding its complication; screening and early intervention of newborns and young children; regionalized reproductive care systems; the regionalized program in Southwest Ontario; preventing handicaps in the children of teenagers; the St. Paul Maternal and Infant Care/Adolescent Health Services in St. Paul, Minnesota; immunization; community responsibilities; helping parents who have just found out their child has a mental handicap; parent support groups; training and education for parents; government support for families who want to keep their handicapped child in the home; respite care/in-home support; the Community Respite Service program; and social and physical integration. (DB)