What is the 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 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.

Join the Celebration 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

Take a few minutes to “shout out” or give “props” to an early care and education professional or program on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram:

When utilizing social media, make sure to tag individuals’ accounts (if possible), share your own personal stories and pictures, and include the relevant hashtags mentioned in the social media toolkit to ensure other participants can view your story!

An example post would be: 

I’d like to say thank you to @amymiller for the wonderful work she’s been doing for the past four months to support my child’s learning and healthy development! My child still can’t stop talking about the caterpillar craft he did last month! #MOYC2022

Consider sharing your personal story as a parent or caregiver on social media using the hashtags #MyStory and #MOYC2022.

Reflect on your experiences throughout 2021-22 and highlight the stories that make you smile, laugh, or feel proud. Month of the Young Child is a time of celebration and there is no better way to celebrate than by connecting with each other through our stories.

Advocate on behalf of yourself and other early care professionals by using #EssentialCaregiver

It’s so important that individuals understand just how important early educators are to developing children, because it leads to increases in resources and opportunities for your children and programs. Elevate your own stories of providing essential services to our children using #EssentialCaregiver and show pride in your work. 

Take a trip back in time by scrolling or looking through old early childhood pictures, whether they are of yourself or a loved one.

Think back to those individual moments and cherish the memory of that time. You can also take this time to reflect on the growth of that young person. In order to do this, find a photo that stands out to you and share it on social media using the hashtags #MyStory and #MOYC2022. Take this opportunity to share a fond memory with others!

Use the Month of the Young Child Social Media Toolkit to access customizable social media templates, graphics, and more!

Our social media toolkit has linked resources, photos, graphics, and example posts for the entire month.

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).

Kick-Off Saturday (April 2, 2022): Get your preparations together for a week of fun early childhood celebrations! Make a list of your celebration plans and share a picture (or screenshot) of it on social media using #WOYC22 and #MOYC2022!

Music Monday (April 3, 2022): Celebrate music and early literacy by sharing a picture or video of your favorite music-based activity. Highlight why music and early literacy matter to you! Use #WOYC22 and #MOYC2022 to join the thread!

Tasty Tuesday (April 4, 2022): Celebrate the ways that health, science, nutrition, and fitness fuel the early learning community by sharing a picture of your favorite experiment, lesson, or exercise using #WOYC22 and #MOYC2022.

Work Together Wednesday (April 5, 2022): Celebrate teamwork and collaboration by sharing a picture of your child(ren)’s collaborative creations, whether it is an art piece, a blanket fort, a block tower, or something else! Use #WOYC22 and #MOYC2022 to join the conversation.

Artsy Thursday (April 6, 2022): Join the early childhood community in celebrating art by hosting a “virtual class!” Record a short video walkthrough of your favorite art activity and share it on social media using #WOYC22 and #MOYC2022!

Family Friday (April 7, 2022): Celebrate the importance of positive relationships by sharing your favorite family photos and stories on social media using #WOYC22 and #MOYC2022. Tag a friend and challenge them to share as well!

Events

Check out our 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.

Signup to Receive Updates

If you’re interested in receiving updates on Month of the Young Child, like our Facebook page, follow our Twitter, or signup to receive the Trying Together newsletter.

Past Events

Child Care Hiring Days for PA

With a large number of child care programs experiencing staffing shortages, Trying Together and statewide partners connected job seekers with early learning programs throughout Pennsylvania for Child Care Hiring Days for PA on March 29, 30, and 31, 2022.

During this three-day event, more than 700 ECE programs hosted walk-in hiring events, featuring on-the-spot interviews at their locations. Programs displayed yellow balloons, ribbons, or stars in front of their facility to signify that they were participating in Child Care Hiring Days for PA. The event aimed to simplify the job search and hiring process for potential applicants and promote the rewards of working in early childhood education.

A report on the outcomes and next steps will be released between April and June.

Celebrating Early Learning Programs

Trying Together offered child care programs in Allegheny County the opportunity to receive Month of the Young Child materials and experiences. Programs were able to request a mailed box of materials related to Month of the Young Child 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)

Materials were shipped at the end of March and were available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies lasted.

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 were selected based on the strength of ideas for utilizing the funds; geographic diversity throughout Allegheny County; and a needs-based assessment. Mini-grants were limited, and awardees were notified by the end of March.