February 4, 2022 -- Today, the City of Houston announced a partnership with statewide nonprofit First3Years by endorsing their upcoming virtual event, Baby Day, and formally proclaiming February 12, 2022 as Baby Day in Houston. The fourth annual celebration will be a week-long event from February 6 - 12, 2022 designed to connect parents and caregivers to critical early learning resources and experiences that will ultimately impact the lives and futures of Texan children ages zero to three. This announcement comes only a day after the City of Houston announced three new 10-year lease agreements between several partners and Bezos Academy to open four tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschools in the Houston area beginning in fall 2022.
"Houston is proud to be a city keenly focused on the healthy development of infants and toddlers. By supporting the education and growth of our youngest residents through equal access to quality resources, we are furthering the future of our entire community," said Mayor Sylvester Turner. "Early childhood education greatly impacts the trajectory of a child’s future. Baby Day is providing the next generation of Texan leaders with the tools to succeed, making Houston an even stronger city. I support this endeavor by encouraging my constituents to utilize and promote Baby Day with their colleagues, neighbors, and loved ones. It is up to us to come together as a community to champion the growth of our future leaders.”
City of Houston is working to make Houston the first UNICEF-designated Child-Friendly City in the U.S. While there are multiple components to this, none is more critical than early childhood education and development. As a result, the City of Houston will champion and endorse Baby Day 2022 to ensure children across Houston receive the education and enrichment needed to grow and flourish. New to Baby Day's programming this year, professional caregivers can also earn free continuing education units to ensure local caregivers are supported in their professional endeavors.
Baby Day is offering its free programming online with a full week of educational activities planned for children, parents, professional caregivers, and family members across the state and beyond. Registration is free and activities will be hosted by more than 110 Texas-based organizations, with many activities hosted by Houston-based organizations specifically. Live and on-demand baby and toddler events include music, art, yoga, reading, dance, educational sessions, continuing education opportunities for professional caregivers, and more, all designed to support the healthy development of infants and toddlers. Baby Day activities will be live streamed and on-demand and will be part of Baby Day’s online library of content that can be accessed year-round.
To learn more about Baby Day 2022, register for the event, and utilize Baby Day’s free library of resources, visit https://babyday.us/events/.