The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is proud to announce Governor Jared Polis has officially declared April 6-12, 2024, as the Week of the Young Child (WOYC) in Colorado. This proclamation recognizes the importance of early childhood education in Colorado.
“Children’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional, and language and literacy development are built on a foundation of children’s positive interactions with adults, peers, and their environment,” the proclamation stated.
Through the proclamation, Governor Polis encourages local communities across the state to participate in events and activities during the WOYC.
“Thank you, Governor Polis, for proclaiming NAEYC’s Week of the Young Child in Colorado,” said NAEYC CEO Michelle Kang. “This proclamation – and the good work Colorado is doing to invest in the earliest years – celebrates the joy of early childhood and recognizes the role that early educators play in their communities and the profound impact they have on preparing each and every child for a successful future.”
WOYC, an annual celebration begun by NAEYC in 1971, focuses public attention on the needs of young children and families and celebrates the work that early childhood educators do to meet those needs. Throughout this week-long event, daily themes engage children in a range of activities, including Kick-off Saturday, Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday.
WOYC arrives as early childhood programs across the nation, and in Colorado , face the continued challenges of recruiting, compensating, and retaining enough educators and staff to meet the needs of children and families in their communities, as demonstrated through NAEYC’s January 2024 ECE field survey, which showed that the child care crisis has worsened in the wake of the expiration of federal stabilization funding in the fall of 2023. Colorado’s work to invest in early childhood education is crucial in reversing the challenges educators are still facing in the state today, which includes:
- 62% in Colorado reported at least one child care program in their community closing over the last year, compared to just 33% who reported at least one program opening.
- About 37% of child care center directors and family childcare owners noted their program experienced a staffing shortage and 33% stated their rent costs went up over the last six months.
- 54% indicated they had to raise family tuition rates in the last six months.
- 53% indicated they were more burned out now than they were at the same time last year.
For more information on how early childhood educators are responding to these challenges and celebrating Week of the Young Child in Colorado, contact Enola Garland at enola@coloradoaeyc.org.
About NAEYC
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children. The association comprises nearly 60,000 individual members of the early childhood community and 52 Affiliates, all committed to delivering on the promise of high-quality early learning. Together, we work to achieve a collective vision: that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential.
