The School of Family Studies' Child Development Laboratories observed "The Week of the Young Child" April 20-26.

Local celebrations of the week focused on young children and services for them within the community. The theme for this year was "Early years are learning years... Make them count!

"The early years are the learning years and learning starts from birth," says Charlotte Madison, director of the Child Development Laboratories. "The importance of providing quality care is becoming more and more important, as one in two children has a mother in the labor force, and full-time parental care for the child is becoming scarce.

The Child Development Laboratories trains early childhood educators and serves as a site for research in early childhood development and education. The children at the Child Development Laboratories are six weeks to six years old and the curricula reflect the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual developmental needs of children with a primary focus on music and art.

Events featured during the week included art exhibits at the Student Union and in the School of Fine Arts of two-dimensional and block works by the children, a children's book fair; and a concert for young children and their families by children's song writer and performer David Jack on April 24.

"Through the book fair we hope to draw parent's attention to the importance of reading to their children's attention," Madison said.

Usha R. Palaniswami