Idaho AEYC leads Week of the Young Child with statewide resources

As a show of commitment to family structure, 50 Idaho and cities statewide have banded together to honor the importance of early childhood and the family as part of what has been tabbed the Week of the Young Child (WOYC), April 11-17.

The weeklong event is being led by the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC) to help highlight the importance and necessity to provide high-quality early educational opportunities for children, as well as to connect families to the types of resources that can help a parent support a child’s early learning journey at home.

The focus is to illustrate the benefits of investing early in the life of a child, which can subsequently serve as a strong foundation and pathway that can help lead to lifelong success.

“Parents have a lot on their plates. Our goal is to take some of that pressure off by offering simple tools, trustworthy information and the confidence families need to support their child’s strong start,” said Nicole Criner, executive director of Idaho AEYC.

As part of this statewide weeklong celebration, Idaho AEYC is partnering with Albertsons, IDeal ― Idaho’s 529 Program ― Lakeshore Learning and the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage to share activities that families can do together. From hands-on art projects and cooking explorations, to building teamwork and celebrating families, each day of the week is designed to spark joy and learning.
During this week, Idaho AEYC is also sharing, at no cost to parents, the newly launched You’ve Got This! From The Start, a program designed to support Idaho families. Participating families receive high-quality materials, resources and ongoing learning opportunities that can help simplifying how to support a child’s learning and growth from day one.

From teachers planning engaging experiences or parents looking to celebrate at home, WOYC offers resources and inspiration. The proclamation of the Week of the Young Child underscores Idaho’s commitment to supporting young children, their families and the early learning professionals who serve them, AEYC stated, adding that it’s the organization’s mission every day.

For more information and to access the daily themed resources shared by Idaho AEYC for Week of the Young Child, visit idahoaeyc.org/WOYC.