Week of the Young Child celebrates young children and their caregivers and helps increase the awareness and importance of early childhood.
This community-wide event is a unique opportunity to show our youngest residents, and those who care for them, they are valued and they are not alone.
Want to be a part of Week of the Young Child 2025?
Plans for 2025
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Details to be announced… check back soon!
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We will be hosting an offering specific for those who have lost their baby, pregnancy, or child.
Click here for the event details.
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Free music class with Music Together.
Details to be announced… check back soon!
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Harvest of the Month will be doing a food activity.
Details to be announced… check back soon!
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Join us for our annual Reading in the Rotunda event at the Helena Capitol building. There will be local celebrities reading to children, small resource fair for caregivers and activities to keep you all busy.
Details to be announced… check back soon!
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Details to be announced… check back soon!
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Details to be announced… check back soon!
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Details to be announced… check back soon!
Want to be involved?
There are many ways to support Week of the Young Child, no matter your role in our community!
ECC Organized Activity
I have a business or service that I could offer to young children (or the adults who care for them) but need help making it happen.
Business Supporter
I recognize the importance of early childhood in our community and want to host a Pinwheel Pal and/or a flyer to help spread the word.
Community Member
I am not actively raising young children and I don’t have a business or service to offer but I want to support these efforts by giving some of my time to help put together bags or hang up posters…or something else.
ECC Sponsored/Endorsed Activity
I got this but might need some financial help and we want to be included on the marketing materials.
Business/HR/Employer Supporter
I don’t offer relevant services but I want to distribute the information to my employees or colleagues and/or I want to gift time (even one hour) to employees to attend any events with their little ones or take care of themselves.
Tiny Deals for Tiny Humans
I want to offer a discount, deal or two for one opportunity for anyone with young children or for those people who raise and care for them. This could be for one part of the week or the full week.
Looking back at 2024
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The ECC gave away 2,000 bags with a book and resources to preschoolers around town.
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On Saturday, April 6th, 2024 from 10 am to 2 pm at Rocky Mountain Development Council and the Lewis and Clark Library, the ECC hosted many fun activities at the Library, and screened children and connected families with resources at the Rocky Head Start building.
The screenings were done by qualified individuals from Head Start, Early Head Start, Family Outreach, and the School District:
The families who came received a “developmental pack” full of fun things for the caregiver and child to do together.
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Our cardboard cutout dolls were out almost the entire month of April. Doing their job raising awareness around our community about the importance of early childhood with their facts in one hand and the blue pinwheel in the other (this is for Strengthening Families Month).
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On Wednesday, April 10th, 2024 from 9 to 11 am at the Montana State Capitol Building in the Rotunda the ECC hosted more than 100 kids where local celebrities read to the children, kids got to participate in some fun activities and caregivers learned about some of the resources available in our community.
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Kickoff Saturday: Kickoff Event with health and wellness screenings and fun activities for families
Self-Care Sunday: Offering for Loss Parents
Music Monday: Music Class with Music Together
Tasty Tuesday: Harvest of the Month at Lewis & Clark Library
Work Together Wednesday: Themed Early Explorer Classes at Exploration Works
Wednesday: Reading in the Rotunda
Artsy Thursday: Art class with the Holter Museum of Art
Family Friday: Free admission to the Holter Museum of Art with option to do some art projects with your little one
…and more not even listed!
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Certain businesses generously gave discounts or offered something special to children and/or their caregivers from April 6th - 12th as a way to encourage families to spend time together and enjoy what Helena has to offer.
Some of the participating businesses were:
Big Dipper
ExplorationWorks
Image Dancing
Loft Helena
Sleeping Giant Lanes
Flying Giant
Our friends from Lewis & Clark Public Health prepping our Pinwheel Pals for their showcase
Pinwheel Pal #23
Pinwheel Pal #122 aka The Denim Queen
Pinwheel Pal #132
ECC Bags with Free Book and Resources
Self-Care Sunday: Loss Parents honoring their little ones at Painted Pot
Self-Care Sunday: Loss Parents honoring their little ones at Painted Pot
Reading in the Rotunda with Catie
Reading in the Rotunda with Molly
More information
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90% of a child's brain develops by age 5. The experiences a child has early in life impacts how their brain develops, which influences their ability to learn in school and how they will function as an adult.
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Last year, we had businesses host our cardboard dolls who held signs with facts about early childhood and a blue pinwheel for Strengthening Families Month. This year, we have expanded and you can be involved in any of the following ways.
Host a cardboard doll for the week
Provide a discount to children/families - either for a day or for the week
Offer an activity or class for children/families
Provide printed materials - or a small item - to put in our Week of the Young Child bags we give out to preschool children (2,000 of them)
Help us stuff bags on March 20th
Table at the kickoff event on Saturday, April 6th and provide resources and/or fun activity for children/families.
Our audience is children 0-8 years old but even if you don’t specifically work with that age of children, we can still be creative in how we show our community we support our children and those who raise them. Reply and let me know how you’d like to be involved this year. We are open to more ideas than just this list. Reach out and we can chat more.
Email Maureen at mbjerke@sphealth.org or call/text her at 406-461-4449.
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Visit National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) website to learn more about the national Week of the Young Child.
