Celebrating the Week of the Young Child

While as a parent it may seem that every day of every week is dedicated to your children, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) designates one week each year as the Week of the Young Child to focus public attention on the broader needs of young children and their families. This year the Week of the Young Child is April 19-25. The NAEYC website provides many rich ideas about how to celebrate this special week as well as information on agencies with a key focus on our children. While this event is typically celebrated in child care centers and community agencies with special activities such as reading nights or open houses for children and their families, the true importance of this week is to increase visibility on issues facing young children and their families such as poverty, nutrition, and violence—and by highlighting these issues, to encourage our society to recommit to addressing Children’s needs.

Children are our most vulnerable citizens. They also benefit the most from the resources invested in them.  All of our efforts in support of children must start with awareness that children deserve our respect as unique individuals whose thoughts and interests require our care and attention. The Week of the Young Child provides an important opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the incredible of efforts of those who teach, support, and protect all children so that they receive the best possible start on a lifetime of learning and opportunity. While children growing up in our country face many challenges related to early care and education, health, poverty, and violence, we should not forget that we are part of a global community, and that the challenges our children face are also faced by children beyond our borders. In fact, in some parts of the world the effects of these challenges are much more magnified.

I have been reminded of this in recent exchanges I have had with Olusesan Olukoya, a Country Representative/Project Manager of the African Regional Youth Initiative who works with more than 500 youth and community based organizations in Africa to address development issues outlined in the United Nation’s 2015 Millenium Development Goals.  While more pronounced in Africa, many of the issues addressed through the work of this organization such as HIV/AIDs, maternal health, poverty and hunger, are issues that we in the United States also face. However, they also face issues related to school enrollment, access to fresh water, and diseases such as malaria that are not significant in the United States. While these problems can seem overwhelming, improvements can be made if they are matched by the fierce resolve and relentless efforts of those who are committed to making a difference for families and children—all children.   

So as we celebrate the 2009 Week of the Young Child, please rededicate yourself to supporting efforts to improve the lives of your own children, the children in your schools and communities, and even the children across our borders whom you will likely never see or know. It can be as simple as spending a few extra minutes each day reading to your child or taking the time to thank your child’s teachers for all they do. Every child deserves a chance at a brighter future. We can all play some role, large or small, in helping to make that dream a reality.