The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the NAEYC. 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.
NAEYC designates the Week of the Young Child dates and theme, but events are planned and implemented by local communities. Celebrations are organized and coordinated by regional, state, and local NAEYC Affiliates, and by individual early childhood programs and community organizations providing services to young children and families. Local communities may tailor celebrations to meet their own needs. For example, while NAEYC traditionally designates a Week of the Young Child, some groups generate so much enthusiasm and support that they celebrate the "Month of the Young Child". Others have modified the dates of their celebration to coordinate with other community scheduled events.
However adapted, the central purpose remains unchanged--to promote the needs of young children, their families, and the early childhood programs that serve them.
Today we know more than ever before about the importance of children's earliest years in shaping their learning and development. Yet, never before have the needs of young children and their families been more pressing.
The Week of the Young Child is a time to recognize that children's opportunities are our responsibilities, and to recommit ourselves to ensuring that each and every child experiences the type of early environment--at home, at child care, at school, and in the community--that will promote their early learning.