East Haven Celebrates 'Week of the Young Child'

There may be nothing more important to a good education than a solid start in a child's early, formative years.

With this in mind, the East Haven Early Childhood Collaborative is asking the East Haven community to come together for children during the “Week of the Young Child."

The collaborative — founded here in 1998 — seeks to support children, families and workers in the field of early care and education.

Children's Fair

To help celebrate the Week of the Young Child and the importance of early childhood education, the collaborative will once again hold its annual Children’s Fair next Saturday, April 28 at , located on Gerrish Avenue, from 10 a.m. to 1 pm.

There will be games, crafts, touch a truck, and more for children from birth to 8 years old.

"East Haven is honoring young children and their families and all those who make a difference in children’s lives," Mary Varunes, the director of the , said. "Young children and their families depend on high quality education and care."

Free Event

The fair is free and open to the public. The event is sponsored by the collaborative, and funded through the William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund.

Fair fliers, with both an English and a Spanish version, are posted in the gallery that accompanies this article.

A slide show from is also available online.

Important of Early Learning

Varunes said the Week of the Young Child is "a time to recognize the importance of early learning and early literacy."

"And to celebrate the teachers and policies that bring Early Childhood Education to young children in East Haven and across the country," she said.

“Week of the Young Child” is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. It was created to provide an opportunity for early childhood programs across the country to hold activities to bring awareness to the needs of young children.