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Get
Involved!
Everyone
has a role to play!
Businesses And Other Employers Can:
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Provide
donations or in-kind services to local child care,
preschool and pre-K programs. |
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Work
with other community partners to expand and improve
on early care and education programs for families
with young children. |
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Honor
and reward employees who volunteer to provide or
improve early childhood programs and services. |
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Provide
parenting information using bulletin boards, in-house
newsletters and electronic networks. |
Civic,
Community And Professional Organizations Can:
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Contribute
to early childhood programs or partner with them
for community service projects. |
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Organize
volunteers to work in early childhood programs or
to work on a particular project to improve the facilities
such as building a playground or putting in a garden. |
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Educate
members and the public about the importance of quality
early childhood education. |
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Collect
and publish information about state and local early
childhood needs and resources. |
Colleges
And Universities Can:
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Provide
campus parenting and child care programs for students
and staff. |
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Take
an active part in raising the qualifications of
individuals providing services for young children
and their families. |
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Encourage
and support students, faculty and staff to volunteer
in early childhood programs. |
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Help
evaluate the quality of local early childhood services. |
Faith
Organizations Can:
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Partner
with early childhood programs for service projects. |
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Mobilize
members to volunteer in early care and education
programs. |
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Provide
parenting information. |
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Offer
space and support for parent education workshops. |
Government
Can:
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Increase
investments in young children and their families. |
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Require ongoing collaboration and coordination among
agencies that administer early childhood programs
and services. |
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Convene
a group of citizens to address early childhood issues. |
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Institute
appropriate quality-control mechanisms to assure
the safety and healthy development of young children
in early childhood programs and provide technical
assistance to those who need to improve quality. |
Hospitals
And Health Care Professionals Can:
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Educate
families, parents and staff about child development
and the importance of the early years of life. |
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Provide
facilities and materials for parenting classes. |
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Volunteer
as telephone or on-site consultants to early childhood
programs on health and safety issues. |
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Inform
policymakers about the importance of the early years
of life and support laws and policies that increase
and improve health, parenting, family support and
early childhood programs. |
Individuals
Can:
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Support
fundraisers and donate resources. |
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Volunteer
in an early childhood program. |
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Serve
on the boards of non-profit organizations that provide
programs and services for young children and their
families. |
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Share
information about child development with their friends
who have young children. |
Law
Enforcement Can:
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Inform
other members of the law enforcement community and
the public about the importance of the early years
of life. |
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Promote public policies and legislation designed
to assist families with young children. |
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Collaborate
with other community partners to expand and improve
services to families with young children. |
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Include
information about relevant issues in early child
development in training programs for all law enforcement
professionals. |
Libraries
Can:
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Publicize
the importance of the early years of life. |
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Become
an information source about all community, child
and family activities and initiatives. |
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Provide
materials on parenting and early childhood development. |
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Hold
story times for young children and their caregivers. |
Parents
and Families Can:
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Learn
all they can about child development. |
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Make
sure that the child care, preschool or pre-K program
their children are enrolled in meets the highest
standards for young children. |
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Join
and form parent support organizations. |
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Acquire
the skills and tools they need to become forceful
advocates for their children. |
(Source:
Carnegie Corporation of New York and Families and Work
Institute. The Seven Lessons of Early Childhood Public
Engagement – Starting Points. New York. 2000)
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