Week of the Young Child
April 18-24, 1999

The Week of the Young Child is an annual event designed to focus attention on the importance of the early years for children’s learning and all aspects of development. The week is an excellent time to explore why high-quality early childhood education is important and how to make it available to all children.

High-quality early childhood education programs provide the kinds of experiences that help build children’s lifelong potential for success, are motivating, and support children’s overall healthy development and learning. They are especially important because the early years are critical learning years when children’s capacity for and attitudes about learning are developed.

The early years are learning years and we can make them count! Investments and new policies based on what we know about how children learn and what families want for their children must be made. Too little has been invested in making sure all children have the opportunity to benefit from high-quality programs.

We know that children cannot learn unless they are healthy and safe and that they learn best in high-quality settings. We must develop the capacity of communities to:

• operate effective regulatory systems that ensure all programs comply with basic health and safety standards
• link community health and social services with early childhood education programs
• provide families with information about early childhood development and the importance of choosing quality programs
• provide programs with funds to make improvements in their facility, program operations, and teaching practices

We know that children learn best when they have stable relationships with highly-skilled caregivers and teachers. We must provide early childhood staff with:

• quality early childhood professional preparation and training that provides teachers with core knowledge and competencies they need to support children’s learning
• financial incentives to pursue higher education and professional development opportunities and adequate compensation to stay in the field
• flexibility to exercise professional judgment in assessing children and making decisions about the curriculum
• funding and resources to support achievement of high professional standards, including program accreditation

We know that all families want their children to have a good early childhood education, but that families have diverse needs, interests, backgrounds, and values. We must provide families with:

• assistance in paying for high-quality early childhood education, both in the form of subsidies to parents and direct payments to programs
• diverse program options that reflect family needs, interests, backgrounds, and values
• opportunities to be involved in their children’s early education

Everyone has a stake and a role in making the early years count. Across the country leaders in the private and public sector are getting involved in developing new strategies for children’s early childhood education. It will take the ongoing commitment of parents, early childhood professionals, community leaders, business leaders, policy makers, and the public as a whole to give all children the opportunities they deserve in the early years.

This week and throughout the year, speak out for quality early education. Make sure that new strategies for investing in the early years are being discussed in your communities and that you are doing all you can to support children’s early learning and healthy development.