By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

THE Public School System’s Child Care and Head Start programs have teamed up to sponsor “The Week of the Young Child” from April 21 to 27.
This celebration will highlight the early education needs of pre-school age children and recognizes the achievements of parents and early childhood educators in providing learning opportunities for young children.
The Week of the Young Child is “celebrated by hundreds of organizations across the nation all working toward improving early learning opportunities for young children. “
PSS said this is the first year that the CNMI has joined in the celebration.
The Week of the Young Child celebration will begin with the signing of a proclamation by the governor at the Kagman Head Start Center at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
Because the early childhood educators who provide pre-school services to young children work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, the Week of the Young Child conference will be held on Saturday at Koblerville Elementary School from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m.
The keynote speaker is Abby Cohen, a child care technical assistance specialist at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Cohen is an attorney and a nationally recognized expert in the fields of early childhood education and childcare services. Her address will focus on “Disability Rights in the Context of Child Care for Parents and Child Care Providers.”
After the keynote address there will be more than 18 sessions conducted.
These include Language and Communication Skills in the Early Years, presented by Robin L. Palacios, M.Ed., Margaret G. Blaz, Phd., and Naomi Diaz; Reach Out and Read, Allison Livingston, MD; Reading Aloud with Young Children, Mary Binuea, Motherread coordinator, and Jasmin Niedo-Jones, Motherread trainer and reading resource teacher; Signs of Hearing Problems in Young Children, Dr. Angie Mister, PSS Audiologist and Nancy Rushmer. M.A., CED, of Public Health; Supporting Language Development for Young Children, Josi Jones-Lizama, PSS reading and ESL specialist; Project Familia, Project Familia facilitators; Games to Play and Toys to Make at Home, Barbara Sher; Family Math, Brian Torres, PSS math specialist; Family Literacy, Maria C. Muna and Malua T. Peter of Head Start; Healthy Living and Nutrition, NMC-CREES staff; and What is Normal Childhood Sexual Development?, Jackie Quitugua, PSS associate commissioner for instruction and Chailang Palacios of the Health Partnership.
In addition the 15 child care centers will have exhibits on display at Koblerville Elementary School and at the Head Start centers.