May 25, 2005 — Issues surrounding the need for and improvement of early childhood education will be addressed during the 7th annual Best Beginnings early childhood conference.
Taking place May 26-27 at UVI, St. Thomas Campus (Sports and Fitness Center), government agencies including the Departments of Human Services, Education, Health and the University of the Virgin Islands will work collectively with non-profit organizations including Lutheran Social Services and the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands to provide parents, child care providers and day care proprietors with professional input in early childhood education, according to a release from the Department of Human Services.
Interactive breakout sessions will be held simultaneously to address issues ranging from grant writing and money matters in operating a facility to the role of parents, specifically fathers, during a child's formative years. A session will also be held on instructing children with attention deficit disorder.
"In an effort to improve outcomes for children, one of our goals is to continually update the skills and knowledge of individuals who interact with young children and to do so in a forum that encourages and supports active participation" says Maureen Moorehead, a member of the conference committee.
"This conference can provide an excellent opportunity for parents, childcare providers, early childhood educators — just about anybody — to gain a wealth of information that can prove useful in our interactions with children." Brenda Harrigan-Walwyn, director of the Office of Childcare and Regulatory Services, said, "I can hardly think of any other setting where you could get all of this in one place at no charge. We are very pleased to be able to share in this effort."
The conference will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 774-0930 ext. 4180.