Volunteer

 Volunteer as an Individual…

• Share a hobby, craft, or personal collection with children.

• Read stories to children.

• Provide clerical assistance to early childhood organizations.

• Help the Health Department nurse perform health screenings on young children.

• Teach computer skills to children or adults who work with children.

• Be a substitute teacher for a young children's program so a teacher can attend professional growth classes.

• Help improve facilities which provide programs and services for young children and families.

• Serve on committees or boards affecting early childhood programs and services.

• Become a Guardian Ad Litem -- a court-appointed volunteer for an abused/neglected child -- to help ensure that the best is done for a child involved in a court case.

• Tutor parents of young children in adult literacy.

• Assist in a summer program for young children.

• Staff registration tables at children fairs or events.

• Provide translation to Spanish-speaking parents and children.

• Serve as a guest speaker about early childhood development.

• Provide, prepare, and distribute snacks at children's events and fairs.

• Provide free child care during committee meetings, community forums, and other events.

• Become a Big Brother or Big Sister to a young child.

• Visit and hold an abandoned baby at a local hospital.

• Volunteer at a Women's Shelter for mothers with young children.

• Consider becoming a foster parent.

• Consider adopting a young child.

• Mentor young families.

 Make & Assemble

• Activity kits.

• Show and tell bags.

• Dramatic play costumes.

• Big pillows.

• Wooden swing sets.

• Bean bag chairs.

Advocate

• Write a letter-to-the-editor about young children's issues in your community.

• Contact local media and ask them to explore programs supporting early childhood development.

• Find out where elected officials stand on early childhood services and programs.

• Educate elected officials about the importance of early childhood development.

• Ask elected officials to support programs that provide programs and services for young children and their families.

Donate

• Children's books.

• Children's toys and games.

• Children's magazine subscriptions.

• Infant and toddler equipment and toys.

• Educational programs for young children.

• Professional magazine subscriptions covering child-related topics.

 Volunteer as an Organization…

• Renovate or repair facilities and playgrounds for young children and their families.

• Mentor young children.

• Read stories to young children.

• Adopt a local early childhood program, and offer volunteers, the use of facilities, financial support and other resources.

• Share expertise with early childhood development and family support programs.

• Serve on committees or boards affecting early childhood programs and services.

Advocate & Educate

• Participate in partnerships with community sectors to improve programs and services for young children and their families.

• Initiate partnerships with community sectors to improve programs and services for young children and their families.

• Host or sponsor community forums on early childhood topics, such as brain development, parenting programs, quality child care, or access to health care.

• Publish articles about the importance of the early years.

• Work with media to publicize local programs that offer parent education, family support, early care and education, and health services.

• Provide parenting information.

• Form family support groups.

• Sponsor or host family literacy classes.

• Inform others in your organization/business about the importance of the first years of life.

• Provide family insurance coverage that includes prenatal and maternity care, well child, mental health care and immunizations.

• Conduct surveys or focus groups to learn about the needs of families with young children.

• Inform the public about the importance of the early years on advertisements, promotions and products.

• Include information about healthy early childhood development in professional training and education programs.

• Invite local speakers to offer parenting seminars.

• Communicate concern about the importance of the early years to policy makers.

• Collect information about local early childhood needs and resources, family activities and initiatives.

• Publish information about local early childhood needs and resources, family activities and initiatives.

• Promote and provide immunizations and health exams for young children.

• Publicize the importance of the first years of life.

• Encourage families tread to their children, beginning at birth and throughout childhood.

• Help parents gain access to resources about parenting and child development.

• Learn more about early childhood development.

Create or Donate

• Build early care, education and family center facilities.

• Create areas for mothers to nurse their infants.

• Donate items that support early childhood development.

• Sponsor space for parenting, family support, health care, and early care and education programs.

• Donate space for parenting, family support, health care, and early care and education programs.

• Provide in-kind support, such as copying, faxing, mailing or printing, for organizations providing programs and services for young children.

• Provide meeting space to community groups improving programs and services for families with young children.

• Make facilities safe and inviting for young children and their parents.

• Provide child care to parents.

Support

• Fund public awareness efforts about the importance of early childhood development.

• Celebrate and honor community leaders and organizations that are making a difference for young children and their families.

• Honor and reward volunteers who provide or improve early childhood programs and services.

• Provide long-term financial support for early childhood development efforts.