In recognition of the national Week of the Young Child, the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Council, Early Education and Care Providers, School-Age Programs, and Community Affiliated Agencies held a free Literacy Fair at the Kuss Middle School on April 8, 2017. The event offered three hours of free information and developmentally-appropriate activities, child development information community resources and a performance by the Toe Jam Puppet Band. Some of the participating organizations included Animal Instincts, BMC HealthNet Plan, the Bristol Community College Early Education Program, Fall River Public Schools, the Fall River Children's Museum, the Child Development Program, CFC Head Start/Early Head Start, CFC After-School Program, HealthFirst Family Care Center, John E. Boyd Center, King Philip Preschool, Parent-Child Home Program, Rainbow Bears Child Care Center, South Bay Early Intervention, St. Stanislaus Mastery School, and WIC.. Approximately 300 families attended the event and each received a dozen free books. Funding for the event was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Click here for pictures of the last year's event. Click here for a twelve-minute video of the event. Click here for the Herald News story. For more information, contact Barbara Allard at the Fall River Public Schools at 508-235-2619

(Top row) Two boys are fascinated by the display of a live tarantula by Bob Shagle of Animal Instincts. (Row two) Courtney Fernandes of the South Bay Early Intervention Program helps a boy blow some bubbles. (Row three, left) Theresa Voltao and Jasmyne Demedeiros of the Kids World Learning Center pass out crayons. (Row three, center) Partners School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard talks about sugar with a young student. (Row three, four) Darlene Hyson of Animal Tracking with the Parent-Child Home Program. (Row four) Children and parents line up to receive some free books while Ann Marchand and Joyce Demarais of CFC Head Start Head Start provide some crafts. (Rows five and six)  Tom Poitras and Vinny Lovegrove of the Toe Jam Puppet Band get the youngsters laughing and moving during their noontime show.