by Maureen Bjerke, Guest Contributor
April 3, 2024
Week of the Young Child is a nationally recognized week to celebrate young children and those who care for them. The goal is to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood and the impact the early years have on future development. Montana has many people working on strengthening the early childhood network in our state. In our Capital city, the Early Childhood Collaborative of the Greater Helena Area (the ECC) has been met with an overwhelming response from the community in support of this week-long celebration. Helena has recognized the event in some fashion for many years but this year is the biggest year yet!
While the Week of the Young Child is focused on children ages 0 to 8 years old, the impact of a supportive environment for children, families, and early childhood workers is a community-wide effort.
We are starting the week with a Kickoff Event on April 6th with free children’s screenings, fun activities for children and resources for caregivers. Self-care Sunday is a chance for loss parents to paint their own pottery while connecting with others who have experienced loss on their parenting journey. Our Music Monday class will encourage children to have fun while making music with their caregiver. Tasty Tuesday will give children the chance to make something new and enjoy eating what they just created. Work Together Wednesday facilitates interaction between the child and adult while doing something engaging and fun together. Artsy Thursday allows for the natural creativity of children to come through. Family Friday gives families a chance to spend time together - playing and laughing together is an amazing stress reliever.
Reading in the Rotunda is on Wednesday, April 10th. This event has been going on for many years. We will have fun guest story readers for preschool children and a resource fair where you can learn and explore services available to Helena families.
The Helena School District has set up school visits for preschoolers to visit their future school to aid in the huge transition of going to kindergarten.
This is just a portion of what’s being offered. Businesses are offering week-long discounts, deals or classes to children, families, and those who raise or work with them. Visit our website for a full list of events.
We are so grateful for the support from our community. We hope people know they are not alone, that their community supports them, and that we value our youngest residents.
Learn more about our Week of the Young Child
Maureen Bjerke 406-461-4449 (call or text is fine).