Young children need our close attention

This past week, April 11 to 17, was the national Week of the Young Child, which was sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to draw attention to the needs of young children and their families across the country. The Region One towns are especially fortunate in having individual, small child-care centers that serve young children and their families. As seen in last week’s Lakeville Journal, the child-care centers throughout the region found their own ways to celebrate the week. And there will be more celebrations to come.

Why do we need to stop and think more profoundly about the circumstances of young children? Surely all can agree that young children represent the future, and should be the top priority for any society. But even if that seems obvious, the reality is that money is often short for programs for young children, and those programs are now suffering in Connecticut under state budget cuts.

Young children don’t vote, and their young parents are often lacking in political clout themselves, just starting out as they are, so their needs are can be overlooked when it comes time to divvy up the ever-shrinking public money supply. This is just what should not happen, however. It remains extremely important that there be an awareness of and action taken addressing the needs of young children.

As young families are coping with the repercussions of the worst recession since the Great Depression, they need all the support they can get. High unemployment, cut hours and stress leading to split homes all have taken their toll on young children during the recession. There needs to be support for creating a nurturing environment for young children as they develop and grow into school age and beyond. If attention is not given to the needs of young children now, the price will be paid by society later for this lapse.

What are the needs to be met? Try asking a young family and you’ll hear all about it. Caring, nurturing, high-quality child care is essential for working parents, both in single and two-parent households. Good jobs and good, affordable housing represent more needs which are not always met in the Northwest Corner for young families.

Fresh and nutritious food and basic ways to keep children active and engaged with one another and the community at large are also important. And a good public educational system is necessary for children and their parents to be able to justify making the monumental effort to live in an expensive rural area such as the Tri-state region.

Area child-care centers remain vibrant in the region, however, despite that fact that the young population is being overtaken by retirees in the Northwest Corner. Canaan Child Care Center, as reported by Karen Bartomioli last week, is looking to expand and has achieved NAEYC accreditation. Housatonic Child Care is working toward a renewal of its NAEYC accreditation, as are other centers in the area. This level of professionalism in early childhood education in the Tri-state area means that there are many in the region who are committed to recognizing and meeting the needs of young children.

There will be a region-wide celebration of young children held at Housatonic Valley Regional High School cafeteria on April 30 at 5:30 p.m., when the Northwest Connecticut Child Care Collaborative of the seven area child-care centers holds a spaghetti dinner with music, magic, fun and food for parents, children, child-care professionals, volunteers and more.

Think about volunteering at your town’s child-care center. The rewards you’ll gain will far outweigh the burden of any time you lose. The smile of a happy child holds a special meaning when you have helped bring it about. For more information on early childhood education, go to naeyc.org.