April 10–16, 2011, is the Week of the Young Child, an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (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 eight) 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.

source: http://www.naeyc.org/woyc/faq

Visit the NAEYC website for Key Facts About Children and Families.

During Week of the Young Child, Raising A Reader staff will be at:

Jumpstart for a Day
Thursday, April 14, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
San Francisco Civic Center Plaza
Selected preschool children and teacher’s will experience various hands-on learning stations, inspired by a popular children’s book.

Week of the Young Child Celebration and Resource Fair
Friday, April 15, 9:00am – 3:30pm
Children’s Fairyland, Oakland
Parents and families can learn about safety and wellness at this celebration and resource fair.
Please NOTE: This event is for Oakland Head Start parents only.

To learn about additional activities, check out the calendar of events for 2011 Week of the Young Child, assembled by the Children’s Council of San Francisco.

For more information about Early Care and Education in San Francisco and Alameda Counties visit:

• The Department of Children, Youth & Their Families - San Francisco
• First 5 Alameda County

Community Partnerships

On Saturday, March 26, 65 Early Childhood Educators were honored at the Early Literacy Buffet, an event hosted by the San Francisco Public Library and The San Francisco Early Literacy Network. We celebrated the crucial role of early childhood educators in the lives of children 0-5 with a lovely breakfast, a showcase of early literacy resources, and mini-workshops presented by Janell Bolte and Betsy Keever Russakoff (Early Literacy Consultants), and Lynne Maes and Alli Spector (Raising A Reader and Jamestown Community Center).

As one educator remarked: “I wanted to take a moment to let you know what a positive experience Saturday’s workshop was for me. . . . [The] collaborative efforts allowed me to come away with a much greater awareness and understanding of early literacy resources in San Francisco, and gave me a renewed enthusiasm to pursue ways in which our center can benefit from these services.”

It was our pleasure to honor and nurture those people who make a difference in the lives of children each and every day.

For more information about the Early Literacy Network, please visit http://sfearlyliteracynetwork.blogspot.com/