Month of the Young Child

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.

Elevate Early Childhood

The Month of the Young Child is a time where 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.

Celebrating Early Learning Programs

Trying Together is offering child care programs in Allegheny County the opportunity to receive Month of the Young Child materials and experiences. Programs may request a mailed box of materials related to Month of the Young Child including:

  • Posters to display at their program location or to give to local businesses to promote 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, “Mel Fell” by Corey R. Tabor

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

Month of the Young Child Events

Supporting Our Workforce: Child Care in Westmoreland County

The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce will host this half-day summit to discuss the current state of child care for working families in Westmoreland County.

When

Thursday, April 20, 2023
8 – 11 a.m.

Where

Westmoreland Community College
145 Pavilion Lane
Youngwood, PA 15697

Cost

Free!

To learn more about Supporting Our Workforce or to register for the event, visit the Support Our Workforce event page.

Annual Celebration Dinner

Join Trying Together and your early care and education colleagues to celebrate the work you do for young children and families. Guests will enjoy dinner, a photo booth, and prizes, and hear from a variety of speakers. Individual and group ticket prices are available. 

When

Thursday, April 27, 2023
6 – 8:30 p.m. 

Where

Acrisure Stadium, UPMC Club
100 Art Rooney Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Cost

Individual tickets: $12 
Groups of 10 may reserve a table at a discounted rate of $100.

To learn more about the Annual Celebration Dinner or register for the event, visit the Annual Celebration Dinner event page. 

Homewood Block Party

We are inviting all to join us for a free event in the Homewood community! There will be craft activities, along with face painting, dancing, and more for all ages! There will be a wide variety of resources from organizations in Homewood and the Pittsburgh area for caregivers and families.

When

Saturday, April 15, 2023 
12 – 4 p.m.

Where

The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center
7219 Kelly Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15208 (Outside)

Cost

Free!

For more information, see our flyer or visit the Homewood Block Party event page. 

For details or questions, visit The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center Facebook Group.

Student Affiliate Dinner

In our high-tech, high-pressure educational environment, it is easy to forget that children and teachers need to experience the joy and fun of learning. They need to experience it without stress and fear of failure, but with confidence, success, and high-quality experiences of delight. Through this, children make meaningful connections and feel valued, confident, and safe in loving classroom communities.

If you are an educator looking to bring more joy into your classroom, join Seton Hill University for this annual event, featuring Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld.

Brodskey Chenfeld is an educational consultant, teacher, and the author of “Still Teaching in the Key of Life: Joyful Stories From Early Childhood Settings.”

Interested individuals must register by Monday, April 3.

When

Wednesday, April 12, 2023
5 – 8:30 p.m.

Where

Cecilian Hall Administration Building (2nd Floor), Seton Hill University
1 Seton Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601

Cost

$25

To learn more about the Student Affiliate Dinner or register for the event, visit the Student Affiliate Dinner event page. 

Find More

Check out our Events page to discover all of the Month of the Young Child programming available throughout April 2023.

Join the Celebration from Home

NAEYC Week of the Young Child

Celebrate the daily themes featured during the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Week of the Young Child (WOYC). This year’s events will be held on April 1 – 7, 2023. Daily themes include:

Kick-Off Saturday (April 1, 2023)
Music Monday (April 3, 2023)
Tasty Tuesday (April 4, 2023)
Work Together Wednesday (April 5, 2023)
Artsy Thursday (April 6, 2023)
Family Friday (April 7, 2023)

To learn more about WOYC, WOYC daily themes, and WOYC activity resources, visit NAEYC’s WOYC webpage. 

Take Action

MOYC is a time to plan how we will better meet the needs of all young children, families, caregivers, and early learning professionals. Elected officials play a critical role in funding essential early childhood programs. During MOYC we invite you to advocate with us and remind our lawmakers of the importance of investing in early learning.

Five-Minute Advocacy Activities

  • Display the posters included in your MOYC box near the entrance of your learning center.
  • Follow Start Strong PA on social media
  • Sign on to be an individual supporter.
  • Take action.
  • Providers, share your story on social media and encourage your parents to do so, too. Use these sample templates:
    • As an ECE professional, I deserve to be paid as such. ECE teachers earn an average of $12.43 per hour. This doesn’t cover the cost of living in PA. #SolveChildCare
    • Month of the Young Child is a time to discuss and plan ways to better meet the needs of all young children, families, and early care and education professionals. Unfortunately, 50% of educators in the ECE field reported that they do not plan to, or are unsure of, whether they will remain in their jobs in the next five years. The system is not equitable. Find out more: https://bit.ly/ECE-Wage-Study #SolveChildCare #TheCrisisIsReal #MOYC2023
    • Child care and early learning is more than just a job. I entered the early childhood field because [insert your reason]. #Working4Children
    • As an early childhood educator, my passion is working with young children. I am grateful for [center name/director] for giving me the opportunity to do this work every day. #Working4Children #MOYC2023
    • As a parent, I rely on child care to [insert action]. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to [insert Outcome]. #SolveChildCare

15-Minute Advocacy Activities

  • Celebrate early learning on social media. Photograph artwork from around your center, snap a photo of everyday learning activities, or take a 30-second video of a teacher reading “Mel Fell”(included in this box) to a group of students. Post it on social media and include a caption that highlights the learning that took place during the activity (i.e. fine motor skills, social skills, building language, mathematics, etc.). Then tag Trying Together and your local legislators!
  • Leave a brief message for your legislator at their district office. Craft your own message or follow this simple template:
    • Name and location of early learning program
    • I employ [insert number of] early learning professionals
    • [Insert number of] children attend my center where they receive care and education in a safe and enriching environment while their parents are at work.
    • I have the capacity to provide care for [insert number of] children when fully staffed.
    • I urge you to take action to end the child care staffing crisis by investing in our workforce. Increase investments in early learning and child care. We must prioritize the child care workforce. PA businesses depend on working families and working families depend on child care and early learning programs.

Find your local legislator: https://bit.ly/PA-Legislators

Have more time?

  • Work with Trying Together to invite a legislator to visit your program and read “Mel Fell.” If you’re interested in hosting a visit, complete this form.
  • Reach out to your parents and ask for volunteers to write a letter to the editor regarding the value of child care and early learning. Contact ashley@tryingtogether.org to receive a letter to the editor template.
  • Host a coffee and conversation listening session with parents and caregivers to elevate the quality care and learning their children are receiving every day.
  • Check out the Leadership in Action program for more ideas.

Additional Ways to Advocate