Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Somerville Public Schools, and Somerville’s early childhood community invite Somerville parents, children and educators to celebrate the Week of the Young Child from April 10 to 14, including the One Somerville, Every Child celebration on the Somerville High School concourse (81 Highland Avenue) from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

The Week of the Young Child was designated by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families. The One Somerville, Every Child celebration will begin with a proclamation by Mayor Ballantyne advocating for young children, and include family friendly music, food, and activities.

“Somerville is committed to creating a city where all youth and families can thrive. That goal can only be achieved by the ongoing collaboration between the city, Somerville Public Schools and our community partners.” said Mayor Ballantyne. “We are all committed to helping our youngest residents access high-quality care, education, and wraparound services, and we’ve united under the banner One Somerville, Every Child to make that partnership clear. I look forward to celebrating this important work, and continuing it year-round.”

The city’s collective approach to meeting the needs of young children has been supported by the Somerville Children’s Cabinet led by Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Acting Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jeff Curley. The cabinet comprises representatives from the City of Somerville, the Somerville Public Schools, and community partners. The SomerPromise division of the Somerville Health and Human Services Department, provides backbone support.

“We are fortunate in Somerville to have a strong partnership between the Public Schools, the city, and multiple community partners to provide inclusive, multilingual programming and wrap-around services to ensure that all children are set for success in school and beyond,” said Interim Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jeff Curley. “This celebration is also a way to say thank you to all of our early childhood educators for their work in making Somerville a great place for our youngest students.”

Since its inception in 2017, the Somerville Children’s Cabinet has focused on developing comprehensive child wellbeing and education systems that leverage the many resources and partners within the city and in the surrounding community to help eliminate the link between children’s socioeconomic status and academic achievement. The One Somerville, One Child umbrella tagline reflects Somerville’s commitment to equity and its collective approach to supporting all children and youth in our city.

Among the successes of the multilingual cross-sector work to support early childhood development from prenatal to school entry are: SomerBaby; Home Visiting; Playgroups; Developmental Screening; the Child Care Access and Affordability Program; Somerville Hub Connect; wraparound services; and the establishment of the Somerville Partnership for Young Children focused on expanding access to high-quality preschool in the city. The First Five Steering Committee facilitates the alignment of all these services.

For more information regarding any of the above programs or initiatives listed please visit the Somerville Hub Connect: https://connect.somervillehub.org.