The Buncombe Partnership for Children (BPFC) will host several events as part of their celebration of The Week of the Young Child, a national event sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
The BPFC expects several hundred young children to participate in free, fun and educational events to be held Saturday, April 2nd and Monday, April 4th.
Saturday’s event, from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Rabbit Rabbit on 75 Coxe Avenue, will feature live wild animals from the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, along with arts and crafts, giant bubbles and a screening of the movie Moana. The Asheville Tourists’ Mr. Moon will also make an appearance.
On Monday, April 4th, at The Hop ice cream shop in West Asheville (721 Haywood St.) kids and adults can take selfies with the life-size cutout of Dolly Parton and sign up to receive a free book in the mail each month from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (for kids 5 and under). Monday’s event will take place from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
A free activity kit provides additional fun things for young kids to participate in for the rest of the week and is available at buncombepfc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Week-of-the-Young-Child-Activity-Kit.pdf
The theme of this year’s event is “Spirit Week” and is dedicated to raising the spirits of young children, their families, and child care providers who have faced major challenges during the pandemic. Throughout the weeklong celebration, the BPFC will recognize local early childhood education heroes through advertisements, gifts and a prize drawing. The week will culminate in a $7,500 Superhero Matching Gift Challenge sponsored by First Bank, Terry and Ted Van Duyn and several other generous donors. The deadline for donations will be Friday, April 8.
According to Executive Director Amy Barry, “We are looking forward to having in-person events this year to celebrate families with young children and our heroes in early childhood education. We hope to exceed our $7,500 match goal and raise $10,000 to support children, families and educators in our community who struggle with child care costs that are, on average, more than the cost of in-state college tuition.”
The Buncombe Partnership for Children’s mission is to build a strong foundation for children’s learning and development in the first 2,000 days of their lives by strengthening the capacity of educators, families, and the community. The BPFC partners with local organizations to improve the quality of early childhood education, increase access to affordable, high-quality care, expand early literacy opportunities, promote healthy lifestyles, and provide family support.
For more information on BPFC and The Week of the Young Child events, visit buncombepfc.org.
Prepared by Buncombe Partnership for Children.