Week of the Young Child proclaimed

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proclaimed April 11–17, 2026, as the Week of the Young Child, putting early learning and child care on the state agenda this week. (gov.alaska.gov) The April 11 proclamation says the early years are “vital for social and cognitive development” and calls on parents, teachers, child care providers, mentors and other community members to support young children. (gov.alaska.gov) The dates match the national Week of the Young Child campaign organized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, which lists its 2026 observance as April 11–17 and says the event is marking the group’s 100th year. (naeyc.org) In Alaska, the proclamation lands alongside a broader push to define what “kindergarten readiness” means statewide. Early Childhood Alaska says its 2025–2030 strategic direction calls for a shared public definition that families, early childhood programs and schools can use consistently. (earlychildhoodalaska.com) That work sits inside a larger state-backed early childhood system. Early Childhood Alaska says the project has been supported by federal Preschool Development Grant funding and other federal early-childhood grants, while the state’s education department says it supports programs serving children ages 3 to 5 in school districts and Head Start. (earlychildhoodalaska.com; education.alaska.gov) The practical backdrop is access and readiness. A statewide dashboard published by Thread says the average household cost of licensed early childhood education services in Alaska equals 15 percent of median family income, and 33 percent of children under 6 statewide consistently meet 11 of 13 Alaska Development Profile school-readiness goals. (threadalaska.org) Another Alaska fact sheet, published by the First Five Years Fund in 2025, says federal and state early learning programs in Alaska serve more than 7,776 children and families, or 13 percent of children age 5 and under. The same sheet says limited funding leaves many eligible children unserved. (ffyf.org) State officials are also tying early learning to program quality. The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development said in a February 24, 2026 legislative report, revised March 4, that its Learn & Grow system supports school districts and Head Start programs that choose to participate in early childhood quality improvement. (education.alaska.gov) Week of the Young Child itself is built as a public-awareness campaign. The National Association for the Education of Young Children says the annual event is meant to focus attention on the needs of young children and families and to recognize the programs and educators who serve them. (naeyc.org; inaeyc.org) For Alaska, the proclamation does not create a new program or appropriation. It gives state-level recognition to a week that early-childhood groups are already using to press for stronger child care, family support and school-readiness systems. (gov.alaska.gov; threadalaska.org)