Local day-care director boosts activities for Week of Young Child

Kite-flying, an un-birthday party and a lunch menu designed by preschoolers.

Alisha Strop couldn't think of a better way to celebrate at her Cape Girardeau child-care center during the Week of the Young Child, which begins today.

Strop, who is director of Just Kids' Cape Girardeau center, said the seven-day celebration of children ages infant to 5 is recognized nationally but has been given little attention locally in the past.

Strop learned about the event through a Child Developmental Associates credentials class offered by Child Care Resource and Referral in Cape Girardeau.

"It's recognized all over the U.S. and many places do a lot of wonderful activities, but there's not a lot of that going on here," said Heather Fisher, a training coordinator with Child Care Resource and Referral.

"No one really knew what I was talking about when I mentioned it in class," Fisher said. "So I challenged the students to help educate parents and other child-care providers on the important of recognizing the young child's development."

At Just Kids in Cape Girardeau, Strop has invited local businesses and organizations that support young children to display information about their services at the center.

The week's lessons will focus on children, from drawing silhouettes of themselves to writing stories about their lives. The students also get to choose the lunch menu for the week.

"It's just anything that will celebrate kids," Strop said. "Lots of hands-on learning. We're just focusing on them."

cmiller@semissourian.com

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