Week of the Young Child®

The purpose of the Week of the Young Child® (WOYC) is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

To learn more about WOYC, visit NAEYC’s website.

This year’s Week of the Young Child® will be April 6-12, 2024.

Opportunity to Earn Money!

As part of this year’s Week of the Young Child®, Iowa AEYC is offering YOU an opportunity to earn money for your participation! Each day of that week, beginning April 8 and ending April 12, we are offering a chance to win a $75 Amazon gift card. One early care and education provider who posts how they are celebrating the Week of the Young Child will be chosen each day.

Some key logistics:

  • This opportunity is open to ALL early care and education professionals in Iowa, not just Iowa AEYC members!
  • Participants are permitted one entry per day. An entry counts as a post on Facebook and/or Instagram (with the appropriate photo permissions) that captures how you and your program are celebrating that day’s Week of the Young Child theme (see more information about each day’s themes here). You must tag Iowa AEYC in the post to be entered.
  • Winners will be selected via random drawing each day. While participants may only submit one entry per day, each entry will be entered into an additional random drawing for a chance to win a free one-day registration for our Fall Institute! That is to say, with each entry, your chances of winning a free Fall Institute registration are higher.

There’s no need to sign up for this opportunity beforehand, but you may want to check out each day’s themes ahead of time so you’re prepared to celebrate appropriately!

City mayors sign proclamations for the Week of the Young Child® – 2023

Iowa City Mayor holds Week of the Young Child proclamation
Bruce Teague, Mayor of Iowa City, holds his city’s WOYC Proclamation.
Marshalltown mayor holds Week of the Young Child proclamation with Iowa AEYC executive director
Joel Greer, Mayor of Marshalltown, holds his city’s WOYC Proclamation with Iowa AEYC Executive Director, Jillian Herink.
Mayor of Altoona holds Week of the Young Child Proclamation with child care center staff and children
Dean O’Connor, Mayor of Altoona, holds his city’s WOYC Proclamation with Janet Ira, Director of Altoona 8th Street Child Care.

As a former in-home childcare provider, as a lawyer who has handled cases involving children in childcare, and as a grandfather of six, I am keenly aware of how critical it is for safe childcare and early education!

Joel Greer, Marshalltown Mayor
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