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
National Foster Care Month, Child Welfare Information Gateway
What to Know About Becoming a Foster Parent in PA, Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network (SWAN)
How to Help a Foster Child Adjust, The Up Center
Ways to Help Foster Children, Adopt US Kids
National Foster Care Month, Office of Children & Families in the Courts
Educators’ Guide for Students in Foster Care Placement, Education Stability for Children and Youth in Foster Care in Pennsylvania
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, University of Pittsburgh: Youth and Family Research Program
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, American Hospital Association
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 & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
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
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, History.com
MAY IS JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Jewish American Heritage Month, Britannica Kids
What is Jewish American Heritage Month?, American Jewish Committee
Weeks of Recognition
MAY 4 - 8 IS NATIONAL TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK
This Teacher Appreciation Week Turn Appreciation Into Action, Nea.org
What is Teacher Self-Care and How Do You Practice It?, Waterford
Teacher Appreciation Week, National PTA
MAY 4 - 10 IS CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK
Children’s Book Week Poster and Activity Pages, Every Child a Reader
125 Kids Books We Love, New York Public Library
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 8 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)
Simple and Lasting Mindful Emotional Management Habits for Early Childhood Educators, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Social Media Toolkit, National Association for Family Child Care
75 Staff Appreciation Ideas, Brightwheel
Take Action to Fix Child Care and Keep Classrooms Open, Trying Together
MAY 10 IS MOTHER’S DAY
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
Mother’s Day Celebration, Visit Pittsburgh
Mom’s Mental Health Matters, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
2026 Mother’s Day Guide, Wish 99.7 FM
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746 (1-833-9-HELP4MOMS)
MAY 28 IS WORLD HUNGER DAY
World Hunger Day 2026, WorldHungerDay.org
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
Find Food Guide, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
Help Stock the Shelves with Twice the Food, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank