Resources for May Observances
Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them.
Here is a list of resources for May observances:
Month-Observances
May is National Foster Care Month
Foster and Adoptive Families, Trying Together
What to Know About Becoming a Foster Parent in PA, Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network (SWAN)
Top Ten Tips for New Foster Families, Fostering Families Today
Parenting Resources for Foster Parents, Child Welfare Information Gateway
Ways to Help Foster Children, Adopt US Kids
National Foster Care Month 2024, Children’s Bureau
5 Things Foster Youth Want All Teachers to Know, We Are Teachers
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Childhood Mental Health, Trying Together
Where to Find Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents in Pittsburgh, The University of Pittsburgh: Youth and Family Research Program
Mental Health Awareness Month, Community Care Behavioral Health (UPMC)
Preventing Parent Burnout: Meeting the Emotional Challenges of Caring for Children with Mental Health Issues, The Child Mind Institute
Parenting with a Mental Health Condition, Mental Health America
77 Children’s Books About Mental Health, The Child Mind Institute
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month - Kids Club, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
DEI Resources: Supporting AAPI Communities, National Head Start Association
Talking to Kids About Asian American Identity & Racism, Immigrant History Initiative
AAPI Books for Kids of All Ages, Chicago Parent
100 Brilliant Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) Children’s Books, Imagination Soup
10 Ways to Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with Kids & Teenagers, Boys & Girls Club of America
May is Jewish American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month Starts May 1, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Jewish American Heritage Month, Britannica Kids
Weeks of Recognition
May 1 - 7 is Children’s Book Week
Children’s Book Week Poster and Activity Pages, Every Child a Reader
Creative Ways to Celebrate Children’s Book Week, BookTrust
125 Kids Books We Love, New York Public Library
May 8 -12 is National Teacher Appreciation Week
10 Ways to Celebrate Teachers, National PTA
50 Ways to Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, Waterford
Teacher Appreciation Week 2024, Scholastic
How Can Parents Best Support Teachers? We Asked, Education Week
Why Teacher Self-Care Matters and How to Practice Self-Care in Your School, Waterford
Days of Recognition
May 7 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day
Family-Based Mental Health Services, Community Care Behavioral Health (UPMC)
Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage?, National Institute of Mental Health
Teacher’s Guide to Anxiety, The Child Mind Institute
May 12 is National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day
Self-Care Tips for Family Services Professionals and Home Visitors, Head Start ECLKC (Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center)
Remember to Take Care of Yourself: Six Ideas for Family Child Care Providers, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
75 Staff Appreciation Ideas, Brightwheel
Take Action to Fix Child Care and Keep Classrooms Open, Trying Together
May 14 is Mother’s Day
Celebrate Mother’s Day in Pittsburgh, Visit Pittsburgh
10 Mother’s Day Craft Ideas for Kids, Artful Parent
33 Mother’s Day Preschool Activities: DIY Gift Ideas, Games, and More, Teaching Expertise
Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Caring for the Caregiver, Trying Together
Find Local Child Care, ELRC Region 5
Mom’s Mental Health Matters, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746 (1-833-9-HELP4MOMS)
Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
May 28 is World Hunger Day
Hunger & Poverty in America, Food Research and Action Center
Child Hunger Keeps Kids from Reaching Their Full Potential, Feeding America
Food Resources for Pennsylvanians, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Food Resources in Pittsburgh, City of Pittsburgh
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
Walk-In Food Distribution at the Hub, Trying Together