It's the Week of the Young Child (April 22-28)

On this Week of the Young Child, we want to recognize the needs of young children and thank those involved in building better futures for all children.

Some people might say that every week is the Week of the Young Child, but some very sobering facts* tell us otherwise:

• A quarter of U.S. children under 6 live in poverty.


• A quarter of children under the age of 18 aren't covered by health insurance.


• An estimated 12 million children do not have enough food to meet their basic needs.

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.

Here in west central Minnesota, The Early Childhood Initiative--a coalition of people and programs devoted to early childhood care, health and education--are working to make sure our youngest children get the building blocks they need to grow up happy, healthy and successful.

To these care givers and educators, we say, KUDOS. Your work is making a real difference in our region.

And to our littlest ones, we offer our hopes for hugs, laughter, and warm and nurturing caregivers and mentors for a lifetime.

Week of the Young Child is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

*Facts from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.