Batavia Mayor Signs Proclamation For 'Week Of The Young Child'

Press release from the City of Batavia:

BATAVIA, IL — Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke signed a proclamation at the April 4 city council meeting pronouncing this week as Week of the Young Child.

"I encourage every citizen to advocate and recognize that each child deserves the opportunity at home, at school, and within the community to be active participants in the organization of their identities, abilities and autonomy, through play, exploration and time outdoors," the proclamation states.

The proclamation was presented to Ilana Marczak, owner and director of Mill Creak Early Childhood Program in Batavia.

Here is the entire proclamation:

WHEREAS, The time children spend outside, has fallen by fifty percent in the past 20 years, and the time the average child spends plugged into electronic media has grown to more than six hours each day; and

WHEREAS, Playing and experiencing the wonders of nature have been shown to improve a child’s creativity, problem-solving abilities, and emotional development; and

WHEREAS, Introducing children to the outdoors, can nurture a playful experiential and interactive contact with nature that encourages respect for the environment; and

WHEREAS, There is a lack of understanding of the value of play that is often dismissed as an unnecessary distraction from ‘more important’ activities such as classroom academics, work and formal education; and

WHEREAS, Play is a vital and fundamental part of a child’s development; it provides pleasurable experiences that are essential to a child’s physical, emotional, and cognitive growth, and the knowledge that enables them to become a good citizen, family member and friend; and

WHEREAS, Play is the way a child’s brain develops, it builds neural pathways, healthy brain development and brain flexibility; and

WHEREAS, Play should be pleasurable for each child and provide enjoyment, satisfaction and ‘fun’ in the moment of playing - it is a valued part of childhood; and

WHEREAS, Playful interactions with others help children understand relationships and attachment, language, roles and social structure; and

WHEREAS, Children deserve a rich environment for play that includes: natural elements, interesting and flexible space that allows opportunities for risk and challenge, places to express emotions, stimulation for the senses, and chances for social interactions;

NOW, THEREFORE, I Jeffery D. Schielke, Mayor of Batavia, declares April 4th - April 8th, 2022, as the Week of the Young Child. I encourage every citizen to advocate and recognize that each child deserves the opportunity at home, at school, and within the community to be active participants in the organization of their identities, abilities and autonomy, through play, exploration and time outdoors.

This press release was produced by the City of Batavia. The views expressed here are the author’s own.