Piper Center Celebrates Week of the Young Child

Baylor University's Piper Center for Child and Family Studies has joined local organizations all around the country who are working to improve opportunities for all young children. April 22-28 is the Week of the Young Child, celebrated each year to recognize the needs of young children and thank educators and others involved in building better futures for all children.

"Early learning experiences are crucial to the growth and development of young children," said Barbara Crosby, director of the Piper Center at Baylor. "Week of the Young Child is a time when we can all work to recognize the importance of providing early learning opportunities and working to build better futures for all young children."

The Piper Center kicked off its celebration on Monday on the Baylor campus with a "Teddy Bear Walk." Children, teachers and parents walked from the Mary Gibbs Jones Family and Consumer Sciences Building to Pat Neff Hall for a program and the release of hundreds of green-and-gold balloons.

The group then continued their walk to see Joy and Lady, Baylor's North American bear mascots who live at the Williams Family Bear Habitat on campus. Later that afternoon at the Piper Center, Baylor President John M. Lilley read a proclamation, declaring April 22-28 as the Week of the Young Child at Baylor:

"Whereas, the Piper Center for Child and Family Studies with the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, in conjunction with the National Association for the Education of Young Children, are celebrating the Week of the Young Child, April 22 - 28, 2007; and
"Whereas, these organizations are working to improve early learning opportunities, which are crucial to the growth and development of young children, and to building better futures for everyone in Waco, Texas; and
"Whereas, all young children and their families across the country deserve access to high-quality early education and care; and
"Whereas, in recognizing and supporting the people, programs and policies that are committed to high-quality early childhood education as the right choice for kids;
"I, John M. Lilley, President of Baylor University, do hereby proclaim April 22 - 28, 2007 as The Week of the Young Child at Baylor and encourage all citizens to work to make a good investment in early childhood in Waco, Texas."

Week of the Young Child, sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), is an opportunity for early childhood programs across the country, including child care and Head Start programs, preschools and elementary schools, to hold activities to bring awareness to the needs of young children.

Across the country, young children and their families depend on quality education and care, which help children get a great start, and bring lasting benefits for our society as a whole. Week of the Young Child is a time to recognize the people, programs and policies that are helping to build better futures for all children.

Baylor's Piper Center has 18 early childhood professionals and eight work-study students, who work together to improve professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education and to build public support for high-quality early childhood education programs. Operating as a part of Baylor's department of family and consumer sciences, the Piper Center also is used by 100 child and family life students for observation and lab activities, as well as by majors in early childhood education, anthropology, psychology and FCS nutrition, who use Piper for observation in their fields of study.