Extension Connection

Extension Connection

Early Years Are Learning Years®

April 27, 2012

Photo of Cheri Burcham

Cheri Burcham
Extension Educator, Family Life
cburcham@illinois.edu

From April 22-28, University of Illinois Extension celebrated the Week of the Young Child™. The theme for the week, which highlighted the importance of investing in young children, was "Early Years Are Learning Years."

Janice McCoy, a colleague of mine serving Carroll, Lee and Whiteside counties has stated that "all young children need and deserve high-quality early learning experiences that will prepare them for life, and Illinois has a great opportunity to do our part to help young children." She added that "the Week of the Young Child™ is a time for Illinois to recognize that Early Years are Learning Years® for all young children." Although that week is over, we can all continue to recognize the importance of early learning and early literacy, to celebrate the teachers and policies that bring early childhood education to young children, and to support parents.

To assist in the effort, U of I Extension has several parenting and child-care websites in addition to other resources, including Just in Time Parenting. JITP is a free monthly e-newsletter that offers parents direct access to age-paced resources and expert advice. The newsletter starts with expecting parents and continues with advice on raising children through preschool. The newsletters are written by the best and brightest practitioners who work with parents and children and who have children themselves. These authors really understand the challenges of raising a child and what types of information parents are looking for to help them. For your free subscription, just visit www.parenting247.org/jitp.

Another great online resource for parents is the Parenting 24/7 website. It is packed with informative articles for parents of children from birth through the teen years. There are also videos of real parents talking about their experiences and strategies they have used. The site can be found at www.parenting247.org and is also free.

Please check out these valuable resources and feel free to call me at the Champaign Extension Office at 333-7672 for additional information or visit U of I Extension on the Web at www.extension.illinois.edu for additional web resources on family living.

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