Washington, DC – The District of Columbia today kicked off “Month of the Young Child,” an annual celebration highlighting the needs of young children and their families, and early learning programs and services.

As part of the Month of the Young Child, hundreds of District residents, community and business leaders, and government employees participated in Read Across DC. to help promote early literacy. The event, which is sponsored by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), helps promote early literacy.

Read Across DC participants included the Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Brenda Donald, Acting State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang, and State Board of Education Member Ruth Wattenberg. Also participating in the event were DC Councilmembers David Grosso, Brianne Nadeau, Yvette Alexander, Charles Allen and Anita Bonds.

“The month April marks the official kick off of the Month of the Young Child,” said Kang. “Reading aloud helps children acquire early language skills, develop positive associations with books and reading, and builds a stronger foundation for school success. Our goal is to ensure that every child has a positive early learning experience.”

Participants visited over 40 early childhood development centers across the District. In addition to Read Across DC, OSSE will sponsor the 2nd Annual Infant and Toddler Conference on April 28, 29 and 30 at Gallaudet University.

For more information about this topic, please visit osse.dc.gov.

About the Office of the State Superintendent of Education
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is the State Education Agency for the District of Columbia charged with raising the quality of education for all DC residents. OSSE serves as the District’s liaison to the U.S. Department of Education and works closely with the District’s traditional and public charter schools. For more information about OSSE, visit our website: osse.dc.gov.

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