All young children in Ravalli County deserve the best that we can give them.
Every year, we celebrate Week of the Young Child, which falls during the week of April 22–28, and is a time to recognize the needs of young children and thank the adults involved in their education and care—the parents, childcare providers, teachers, and others who support and nurture children ages zero to eight. Week of the Young Child celebrates their efforts and encourages the entire community to become invested in our collective future.
In Ravalli County, we are fortunate to have many supports for young children and their families. We recently received a grant from the state of Montana to create a Best Beginnings Advisory Council. The 123 Invest in Me Early Childhood Coalition, comprised of early childhood professionals, community leaders, and parents of young children, strives to help our community embrace the importance of early childhood by developing support systems for families, early childhood professionals, and families. Additionally, our Head Start and Early Head Start programs support low income families with young children, and our childcare providers provide nurturing places for children to learn while their parents work.
We can show support for early learning in our community by promoting early literacy programs, thanking teachers who care for our children, and working to ensure that our public policies support early learning for all young children.
Week of the Young Child is a time to remind us that Early Years are Learning Years.
Brittany McKenzie, Treasurer
Ravalli County Chapter of the Montana Association for the Education of Young Children