April 11-17, 2010

NAEYC Theme for 2010:
Early Years Are Learning Years™
Click here to visit the NAEYC's Week of the Young Child webpage.

Week of the Young Child Activities in Maryland:
(Listed alphabetically by County)
** Please visit our Calendar Page for information about all events listed below.

State wide
Early Childhood Curriculum Conference on April 12th from 8 am-4:30pm at the Maritime Institute

Anne Arundel County
"Learning Through the Arts" on 4/17 at the Doubletree Hotel, Annapolis. Parents are participating in the Family Room Tour with Jim Gills on 4/16, 7:30-8:30 p.m.. Each family will receive a calendar with a list of appropriate family activities to do with their child

Baltimore City
Annual Countdown to Kindergarten event at Port Discovery Saturday, April 24.

Baltimore County
April 18th from
11am-4pm at Irvine Nature Center is a day of fun environmental activities for children and their parents.

Frederick County
Head Start, in collaboration with the child care resource and referral office will put on an annual event in a local park called The Children’s Festival, which serves as the culminating event for the Month of the Young Child. This year’s date is April 24th and the time is 10:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Montgomery County
Saturday, April 10
Family Festival – 11:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Entertainment, parent-child activities, resources and giveaways for families and children
Westfield Shoppingtown, Wheaton
Contact: Beth Molesworth, 240-777-1331

Wednesday, April 14
Joint Proclamation for the Month of the Young Child - 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
H ighlighting the partnership for school readiness among families, private non-profit agencies, the child care community and schools, etc.
CentroNia, 1345 University Blvd. Takoma Park, MD 20912
Contact: Janine Bacquie, 301-230-0691 Greg Stevens, 240-777-4661

Wednesday, April 21
Child Care Celebration –
Recognition of the important role that child care providers play in quality early education experiences; dining, door prizes, dancing.
North Gaithersburg Hilton Contact: Dori Elin, 301-424-6969

Saturday, April 24
Family Festival –11:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Entertainment, parent-child activities, resources and giveaways for families and children
Lakeforest Mall Gaithersburg Contact: Beth Molesworth, 240-777-1331

Thursday, May 13
Early Care and Education Congress - 8:30 – 12 Noon
Update on Kindergarten Readiness

Prince George’s County
The Prince George’s County Early Childhood Interagency Committee’s annual Celebrate Children Conference will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2010. There is also a conference related event occurring on April 16, 2010. About 1000 participants are expected.

Eastern Shore
Queen Anne’s County partners sponsor events that begin in March and end with a Month of the Young Child Proclamation by the County Commissioners (QAC) on April 13th. A poster contest is held in child care centers, family child care programs and elementary schools. Child & parents of the winning poster will be recognized by the County Commissioners at the Month of the Young Child Proclamation ceremony on April 13th. This ceremony includes performances by children from local child care center.

Talbot County EHS -Talbot Bank is sponsoring the program, collecting children supplies at each of their locations throughout the week - items like diapers and wipes to give to their families

Wicomico and Worcester Counties will have an early childhood concert for families, featuring David Kisor (of the Devereux Early Childhood Initiative) on April 9th to kick start this celebration. This will be in the Wicomico Room at Salisbury University at 7:00 PM On April 10th, they will host an all day conference featuring David Kisor for child care providers, pre-K and Kindergarten teachers. This will be in the Bistro at Salisbury University from 9-3.

Southern Maryland
Calvert, and Charles: There will be the Early Childhood Fair in Charles County, the Calvert County Early Childhood Fun Fest

St. Mary's County Library is celebrating the Week of the Young Child for the entire month of April!

• BooksAlive! with Author Pamela Duncan Edwards
• Sunday, April 18 at 2PM, Lexington Park Library
• Baby Steps Storytimes (2-12 months)
• Lexington Park & Leonardtown: Ap 5, 12, 19, 26
• Charlotte Hall:  Ap 6, 13, 20, 27
• Toddler Storytimes (1-3 years)
• Lexington Park & Leonardtown:  Ap 5, 12, 19, 26
• Charlotte Hall:  Ap 6, 13, 20, 27
• Preschool Storytimes (3-5 years)
• Leonardtown & Charlotte Hall:  Ap 7, 14, 21, 28
• Lexington Park:  Ap 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
• LEGO Evening Storytime
• Leonardtown:  Ap 1
• Lexington Park:  Ap

What is the Week of the Young Child?
The 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 the 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 the 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.

A Proclamation (April 16, 2008) In celebration of the Week of the Young Child, Lynn Baldwin, Executive Director of the Prince George's County Employee Child Care Centers and newly appointed member to the Prince Georges County Commission for Women, and Flora Gee, Public Policy Co-chair for MDAEYC, were invited by Council Member Ingrid Turner to the Prince Georges County Council to accept a proclamation in honor of the event: Whereas, founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), has nearly 100,000 members and a national network of over 300 local, state, and regional affiliates; and Whereas, the Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children (MDAEYC) is an affiliate on NAEYC, the largest organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of early education programs for children birth through age eight; and Whereas, NAEYC encourages state and local governments, early childhood programs, and organizations who work on behalf of young children to plan events in recognition of the "Week of the Young Child"; and Whereas, the "Week of the Young Child", April 13-19, 2008, is held each year to honor young children and thank early childhood teachers and all those who make a difference in the lives of young children; and Whereas, the 2008 theme for the "Week of the Young Child" is 'Bring Communities Together for Children-Children Bring Communities Together'; and Whereas, young children and their families depend on high quality education and care, which help children get a great start, and Prince George's County recognizes the importance of early learning, early literacy, and to celebrate the teachers and policies that bring early childhood education to young children; and Whereas, the Prince George's County Council and the early childhood professionals are working together to improve professional practice and work conditions in early childhood education, and to build public support for high-quality early childhood education programs, NOW, THEREFORE, Be It Proclaimed by the Prince George's County Council that the week of April 13-19, 2008, is declared the "Week of the Young Child". Signed by Ingrid M. Turner, Council Member and Samuel H. Dean, Council Chairman