Every year, parents, early childhood educators, and others, including organizations, take time from busy schedules to focus on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize programs and services that meet those needs. I encourage you to join in and celebrate the "Week of the Young Child" April 13-19, 2008. This year's national theme is "Bring Communities Together for Children--Children Bring Communities Together."
Alaska's support for the Week of the Young Child includes a proclamation signed by Gov. Sarah Palin. The proclamation notes Best Beginnings' participation and urges "all Alaskans to value the young children in their lives and communities and to recognize and support their needs, ensuring a vital economic future for Alaska."
Although family events for young children take place on a regular basis in large and small communities across our state, there are some special activities planned for this week.
In Anchorage, the University of Alaska Anchorage Early Childhood Program, the Anchorage Association for the Education of Young Children, and Anchorage Parks & Recreation are hosting a Creative Activities Fair with hands-on activities for children and families April 19 from 11 - 3 p.m. at the Spenard Recreation Center.
Also in Anchorage, KidsDay 2008 will feature entertainment, free activities, and information from more than 70 youth-serving agencies and organizations from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. April 19 at the Egan Civic & Convention Center.
The Week of the Young Child is a great reminder for all us to take a few moments and focus on young children and the programs and people who nurture and teach them. But don't let it stop there. What can you do every week of the year to make a difference in the life of a child?
Abbe Hensley
Executive Director
Fairbanks Family Friendly Businesses Recognized
Five Fairbanks businesses were recognized at the April 1, 2008, Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce luncheon for their efforts in assisting their employees to balance work and family responsibilities.
"Since the award program's inception six years ago, 148 companies in the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) have been nominated. All nominees receive a certificate and a decal for their door or window," said Dawn Harmon of the FNSB Early Childhood Development Commission. "It's really neat to see some of these businesses who are nominated year after year proudly display decals."
This year's winners are:
during office hours April 14-18 to pick up a bag full of arts and crafts supplies and are encouraged to check the
Northern Business Systems, company/business 1-25 employee category
Ben Lomond, Inc. company/business 25+ employee category
Resource Center for Parents & Children, Inc., non-profit organization 1-25 employee category
Yukon Koyukuk School District, public sector 25+ employees
A panel of judges looks for family friendly practices in work schedules, benefits, and financial support, as well as family support, such as allowing newborns to come to work or sponsored employee family events. In addition, family friendly stories are collected from nominees.
Research has shown employers, employees, and communities benefit from family friendly workplaces. Employers see stronger recruitment and retention. Employees experience reduced stress as well as improved motivation and job satisfaction. Finally, communities benefit because strong families create a stable marketplace that fosters a strong economy.
Congratulations to winners and nominees for providing a positive environment for employees and families!
Child Care Provider Day is May 9th!
According to the System for Early Education Development (SEED) Economic Impact of Early Education and Child Care Services in Alaska, there are approximately 7,400 Alaskans who directly or indirectly participate in the child care sector workforce. These dedicated workers are often with children for nine-plus hours a day up to five days a week. It takes a very special person to work in this field and the contribution these individuals make to the quality of children's and families' lives too frequently goes unnoticed. As the demand for child care continues to increase, who's minding the kids is crucial.
Provider Appreciation Day, which has been celebrated the Friday before Mother's Day since 1996, offers a wonderful opportunity to recognize the tireless efforts of child care providers, teachers and other educators of young children.
Don't let this day go by without a special thank you to the person who is so important to you and your child!
Best Beginnings Web Site: An Early Learning Resource
Best Beginnings Web site continues to evolve, adding new information, tools, and resources. For example, find Alaska's Early Learning Guidelines, which were recently published. This extensive resource covers what young children should know and be able to do at different stages between birth and age five. To learn more, download or order your own copy, click here.
Parents As Teachers Program Reaches Across State
Alaska's Parents as Teachers (PAT) program provides parent education and family support to families of young children in more than 50 communities and villages across the state. A variety of agencies sponsor Alaska's PAT programs, including school districts, Alaska Native associations, tribal governments, health organizations, and non-profits. Some programs serve families throughout pregnancy until their child turns three years of age, while others continue to serve families until their child enters kindergarten.
The RurAL CAP (Rural Alaska Community Action Program) PAT program, for example, served 343 families (429 children) in 17 communities across the state last year. Among these were Kodiak, Mountain Village, Savoonga, Marshall, and Alakanuk, to name a few.
Certified parent educators work closely with parents, providing information and tools to assist them in helping their children reach their full potential. Parents receive valuable information on each stage of development and learn fun activities that capture teachable moments in everyday life that will enhance their children's language development, intellectual growth, social development, and motor skills. This holistic approach includes home visits as well as regular group socials.
Group socials vary from community to community, based on interest, community needs, and the time of year. Parents made books with their children at a social event in Alakanuk last fall.
"Group socials are a good way for children to interact with and get to know other children as well as for parents to share ideas and have fun with other parents," said Alice Edmund, Alakanuk's Family Visitor. "And we always work in some important information into the program. At this event, we talked about the importance of brushing teeth and baby bottle tooth decay and distributed toothbrushes for the children, compliments of the YKHC dental department."
Best Beginnings, in partnership with Parents as Teachers, distributed public service announcements (PSAs) on parenting tips to radio stations across the state in April and will again in May. If you hear them, would you let us know? These are non-paid spots, so airing them is up to the station's discretion and space availability. To see April's spots, click here. May's spots will be available May 1 in the Newsroom at BestBeginnings.org.
For more information on Parents as Teachers Programs in Alaska, please contact Melissa Pickle, Parents as Teachers Alaska State coordinator at
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or (907) 865-7345.
Do you know what happens when you sing to children? You build their math skills!
Music helps build memory and concentration, two essential math skills. As you sing, clap to the beat of the songs. Clap out the rhythm of the child's name and the names of his or her friends.
Which have more claps? Which have the least? "Most," "more than," and "less than" are important math concepts.
What happens when you sing to children? You help their brains grow!
Did you know early education affects our economy?
Children given attention and a variety of positive experiences during their early years are more likely to become smart, productive members of society.
High quality early education translates into higher graduation rates, better job readiness, and less crime and welfare dependence.
So whenever you support a young child, parent of a young child, teacher, or caregiver, you're also supporting the economy.
Every year, parents, early childhood educators, and others, including organizations, take time from busy schedules to focus on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize programs and services that meet those needs. I encourage you to join in and celebrate the "Week of the Young Child" April 13-19, 2008. This year's national theme is "Bring Communities Together for Children--Children Bring Communities Together." 
Five Fairbanks businesses were recognized at the April 1, 2008, Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce luncheon for their efforts in assisting their employees to balance work and family responsibilities.
According to the System for Early Education Development (SEED) Economic Impact of Early Education and Child Care Services in Alaska, there are approximately 7,400 Alaskans who directly or indirectly participate in the child care sector workforce. These dedicated workers are often with children for nine-plus hours a day up to five days a week. It takes a very special person to work in this field and the contribution these individuals make to the quality of children's and families' lives too frequently goes unnoticed. As the demand for child care continues to increase, who's minding the kids is crucial.
Best Beginnings Web Site: An Early Learning Resource
Alaska's Parents as Teachers (PAT) program provides parent education and family support to families of young children in more than 50 communities and villages across the state. A variety of agencies sponsor Alaska's PAT programs, including school districts, Alaska Native associations, tribal governments, health organizations, and non-profits. Some programs serve families throughout pregnancy until their child turns three years of age, while others continue to serve families until their child enters kindergarten.