In recognition of the national Week of the Young Child Fall River Area early child care providers and other community-based agencies invited parents of young children to join them on April 12, 2014, at Kuss Middle School for a Family Literacy Fair. Organized by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Council and its Coordinator Barbara Allard, the event offered three hours of free information and developmentally-appropriate activities, child development information and a performance by the Toe Jam Puppet Band. Some of the participating organizations included the ABC Preschool, Bristol Community College, Fall River Public Schools, Crayon Campus, The Children's Center, the Child Development Program, CFC Head Start/Early Head Start, ComCare Mental Health, HealthFirst Family Care Center, John E. Boyd Center, KinderCare Learning Center, King Philip Preschool, People Incorporated Early Intervention, Rainbow Bears Child Care Center, W.O.R.D. Inc. Child Care Center, Mastery School, WIC, Westport Public Schools, the YMCA and Partners for a Healthier Community covering its Soda-Free Challenge. Approximately 300 families attended the event and each received over a dozen free books. Click here for the Herald News article. Click here for pictures of the last year's event. Click here for a seven-minute video of the event. For more information about the event, contact Barbara Allard at the Fall River Public Schools at 508-675-8376 .

(Top row, left and right) Alley Chabot, Sierre Lavoie, and Ann Marchand pose as characters from the Wizard of Oz.as Mayor Flanagan greets parents and children. (Top row, center) Parents and children enjoy the crafts at the People Incorporated Childrens' Center table. (Row two) HealthFirst Family Care Center medical assistant Betty Nunes talks to children about dental hygiene while Barbara Allard paints faces. (Row three) Partners School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard talks about the problem of sugar-sweetened beverages while children work with CFC's Amanda Amaral on making spiders and webs. (Row four, left) Jill Chrupcala, Xiomara and Adenalyse Rosario, and Jim Texiera pose in their costumes. (Row four, center) Cheyenne and Hannah Dutcher display their shaving cream "clouds" over their "blue sky" colored water in a cup. (Row four, right) Vinny Lovegrove and Tom Poitras of the Toe Jam Puppet Band invite the children to sit down for some fun music and dance. (Bottom row) The children enjoy the music and antics of Vinny and Tom.