As an individual, you can...

VOLUNTEER

• Share a hobby, craft, or personal collection with children.
• Read stories to children.
• Provide clerical assistance to early childhood organizations.
• Help the Health Department nurse perform health screenings on young children.
• Teach children how to use a computer.
• Teach adults who work with young children how to use a computer.
• Be a substitute teacher for a young children's program so a teacher can attend professional growth classes.
• Help improve facilities which provide programs and services for young children and families.
• Serve on committees or boards affecting early childhood programs and services.
• Become a Guardian Ad Litem -- a court-appointed volunteer for an abused/neglected child -- to help ensure that the best is done for a child involved in a court case.
• Tutor parents of young children in adult literacy.
• Assist in a summer program for young children.
• Staff registration tables at children's fairs or events.
• Provide translation to Spanish-speaking parents and children.
• Serve as a guest speaker about early childhood development.
• Provide, prepare, and distribute snacks at children's events and fairs.
• Provide free child care during committee meetings, community forums, and other events.
• Become a Big Brother or Big Sister to a young child.
• Visit and hold an abandoned baby at a local hospital.
• Volunteer at a Women's Shelter for mothers with young children.
• Consider becoming a foster parent.
• Consider adopting a young child.
• Mentor young families.

MAKE AND ASSEMBLE

• Activity kits.
• Show and tell bags.
• Dramatic play costumes.
• Big pillows.
• Wooden swing sets.
• Bean bag chairs.

DONATE

• Children's books.
• Children's toys and games.
• Children's magazine subscriptions.
• Infant and toddler equipment and toys.
• Educational programs for young children.
• Professional magazine subscriptions covering child-related topics.

ADVOCATE

• Write a letter-to-the-editor about young children's issues in your community.
• Contact local media and ask them to explore programs supporting early childhood development.
• Find out where elected officials stand on early childhood services and programs.
• Educate elected officials about the importance of early childhood development.
• Ask elected officials to support programs that provide  services for young children and their families.

 As an organization/business, you can...

VOLUNTEER

• Repair or renovate children's playgrounds.
• Renovate facilities for young children and their families.
• Mentor young children.
• Read stories to young children.
• Adopt a local early childhood program, and offer volunteers, the use of facilities, financial support and other resources.
• Share expertise with early childhood development and family support programs.
• Serve on committees or boards affecting early childhood programs and services.

CREATE/DONATE

• Build early care, education and family center facilities.
• Create areas for mothers to nurse their infants.
• Donate items that support early childhood development.
• Sponsor space for parenting, family support, health care, and early care and education programs.
• Donate space for parenting, family support, health care, and early care and education programs.
• Provide in-kind support, such as copying, faxing, mailing or printing, for organizations providing programs and services for young children.
• Provide meeting space to community groups improving programs and services for families with young children.
• Make facilities safe and inviting for young children and their parents.
• Provide child care to parents.

ADVOCATE/EDUCATE

• Participate in partnerships with community sectors to improve programs and services for young children and their families.
• Initiate partnerships with community sectors to improve programs and services for young children and their families.
• Host or sponsor community forums on early childhood topics, such as brain development, parenting programs, quality child care, or access to health care.
• Publish articles about the importance of the early years.
• Work with media to publicize local programs that offer parent education, family support, early care and education, and health services.
• Provide parenting information.
• Form family support groups.
• Sponsor or host family literacy classes.
• Inform others in your organization/business about the importance of the first years of life.
• Provide family insurance coverage that includes prenatal and maternity care, well child, mental health care and immunizations.
• Conduct surveys or focus groups to learn about the needs of families with young children.
• Inform the public about the importance of the early years on advertisements, promotions and products.
• Include information about healthy early childhood development in professional training and education programs.
• Invite local speakers to offer parenting seminars.
• Communicate concern about the importance of the early years to policy makers.
• Collect information about local early childhood needs and resources, family activities and initiatives.
• Publish information about local early childhood needs and resources, family activities and initiatives.
• Promote and provide immunizations and health exams for young children.
• Publicize the importance of the first years of life.
• Encourage families to read to their children, beginning at birth and throughout childhood.
• Help parents gain access to resources about parenting and child development.
• Learn more about early childhood development.

SUPPORT