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First established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in 1971, the Week of the Young Child is an opportunity 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.

Over the years, with growing interest and focus, Trying Together designated the entire month of April as the Month of the Young Child (MOYC). MOYC is a time to plan how we will better meet the needs of all young children, families, caregivers, and early care and education professionals.

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Celebrate Early Childhood

The Month of the Young Child is a time when the dedicated work of early educators can be promoted for the essential role that it plays in our society. The events of the last few years have demonstrated just how important it is to fund, support, and elevate the work of child care. Trying Together has assembled a month full of opportunities to share the importance of early care with the audiences that need to hear it most.

Trying Together is offering child care programs in Allegheny County the opportunity to receive Month of the Young Child materials and experiences including:

• Posters to display at their program or to give to local businesses to advertise the importance of child care in the community
• Buttons for staff and families to wear during the month of April
• Printed materials and resources from Trying Together and ELRC Region 5
• A copy of this year’s PA One Book, “Saturday” by Oge Mora (will be mailed separately)

Applications for the MOYC materials are now closed. Materials will be shipped at the end of March, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

In addition to requesting free materials from Trying Together, programs were also able to apply to receive a mini-grant of $500 or $2,500 to show appreciation to staff or host an event during April to strengthen the relationship between families and staff. Applications for the mini-grants are now closed. Recipients will be selected based on the strength of ideas for utilizing the funds; geographic diversity throughout Allegheny County; and a needs-based assessment. Mini-grants are limited, and awardees will be notified by the end of March.

Celebrate from Home

To celebrate the Month of the Young Child in a virtual space, Trying Together has developed several opportunities for community members to participate from home, including the following:

Social Media Activities

Use the Month of the Young Child Social Media Toolkit to access customizable social media templates, graphics, and more. Consider the following post ideas:

• Give a “shoutout to an early care and educational (ECE) professional or program
• Share your personal story as a parent or caregiver using the #MyStory and #MOYC2022 hashtags
• Advocate for ECE professionals by using the #EssentialCaregiver hashtag

Virtual Events

Check out the Trying Together Events page to discover all of the Month of the Young Child programming available throughout April 2022. Additional details will be available in the coming weeks.

More Information

Visit the Trying Together Month of the Young Child webpage for more information and activity details.