Help the Children
The Week of the Young Child is celebrated from April 24th to April 28th. It’s an annual event celebrated and sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children to commend early learning, young children, their teachers, and families. Each day in the week is reserved for a different topic. This week recognizes childhood programs throughout the community and how they benefit the youth. This year, the week-long holiday is here to promote music, art, leadership, family and healthy eating. Here are the days: Music Monday!, Tasty Tuesday, Work together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday.
The Week of the Young Child just so happens fall during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. They are have the common theme of helping children. Initiated in 1983, National Child Abuse Month is an annual observance in the United States dedicated to raising awareness and preventing child abuse. In 2016, President Barack Obama stated that every child should have a chance to succeed to grow up in a safe, stable environment, free from abuse and neglect. The purpose of National Child Abuse Prevention Month was to encourage people to rededicate themselves to playing an active role in preventing child abuse as well as posing positive action on children and their family’s well-being. The definition of child abuse is “all forms of physical, emotional, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent which can harm the child’s future of their health,survival, development or dignity.” A 2014 report showed that about 646,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect and about 1,580 died from abuse and neglect. Abuse is plaguing our society and we are all responsible for stopping it.
Henry Xie