Week of the Young Child
What is Week of the Young Child?
Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the world's largest early childhood education association, with nearly 90,000 members and a network of over 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates.
The purpose of Week of the Young Child is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.
NAEYC first established Week of the Young Child in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life. The Week of the Young Child is a time to plan how we – as citizens of a community, of a state, and of a nation – will better meet the needs of all young children and their families.
What is Being Done in Alabama to Celebrate Week of the Young Child?
The Alabama Partnership for Children will be coordinating the 6th annual Joining Hands for Week of the Young Child event. This event, scheduled for April 15, 2010 at the State House in Montgomery, is designed to bring attention to the needs of young children birth to five to local and state decision makers. Also, early care and education programs as well as local community organizations will be celebrating in a variety of ways, including community fairs, open houses, proclamation readings, etc. The Alabama Partnership for Children will be tracking all of these events and publicizing them on the APC website, www.SmartStartAlabama.org.
For more about Week of the Young Child and how to become involved, download the Week of the Young Child Toolkit.
Downloads
Week of the Young Child Toolkit - Microsoft Word
Week of the Young Child Toolkit - PDF (this version cannot be customized to your local community)
