Week of the Young Child

The Importance of Child Development in our Community

Building Better Futures for All Children - April 22-28, 2007

Early childhood education is vital to all communities:

• The majority of mothers with children under age 18 work, and working families rely on child care providers to help them care for their children while they work.
  
  
• Research shows that high-quality early childhood programs help children - especially those from families with low-incomes - develop the skills they need to succeed in school, including language, pre-mathematics and social skills.

Make a difference in your community:

• Support programs that provide quality early childhood education by volunteering at a local school, community center, Head Start or child care program.
  
  
• Educate yourself and others about the importance of quality early childhood education in preparing young children for school.
  
  
• Support policies at the local, state, and federal levels that provide quality early learning opportunities for all young children.

Join UTSA's Child Development Center and Celebrate Week of the Young Child

Monday, April 23rd
Breakfast Kick-Off
8:30 - 9:00 am
Begin to Assemble the Milagros Wall

Tuesday, April 24th
San Antonio Library Presents Story Time for the Children
9:45 am
The San Antonio Fire Department will bring fire trucks to the Child Development Center at 3:15 pm

Wednesday, April 25th
Brown Bag Lunch
UTSA Child Development Center Gross Motor Skills Room
12:00 - 12:45 pm/1:00 - 1:45 pm
First Session: Preschool Kinder Readiness
Second Session: Infants/Toddlers

Thursday, April 26th
Fiesta Parade
UTSA Child Development Center Parking Lot
10:00 am

Friday, April 27th
Spring Fest Fun
UTSA Child Development Center Playgrounds
5:30 - 7:00 pm
Dinner Served 5:30 - 6:30 pm

Learn More About Child Development @ UTSA Library

• Early childhood education : history, theory, and practice
• Evidence-based practices and programs for early childhood care and education
• We're not robots : the voices of daycare providers
• Building blocks : making children successful in the early years of school
• Everyday goodbyes : starting school and early care : a guide to the separation process
• How children make art : lessons in creativity from home to school

Noteworthy Statistics

Provided by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

• "Working families need child care and supportive employer policies to be able to meet the needs of their young children throughout the day."
  
  
• "In the United States the majority of mothers with children under age 18 work, including 59% of those with infants and 74% of those with school-aged children."
  
  
• "Approximately 13 million infants, toddlers, and preschool children are regularly in non-parental care in the United States, including 45% of children younger than one year."
  
  
• "The Census Bureau reports that approximately 50% of working families rely on child care providers to help them care for their children while they work; 25% rely on relatives for child care; and nearly 25% arrange work schedules so that no child care is needed (e.g. parents work different hours or days; one parent works during school hours and is home after school)."