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-Long 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 10 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 2023 Virtual Event: Foster Care and Mental Health, Children’s Bureau

• 5 Things Foster Youth Want All Teachers to Know, We Are Teachers

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

• Where to Find Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents in Pittsburgh, The University of Pittsburgh: Youth and Family Research Program

• Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Childhood Mental Health, Trying Together

• 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

• 44 Children's Books About Mental Health, The Child Mind Institute

• Creating an Inclusive Classroom for Neurodivergent Learners, Edutopia

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month

• Recognizing the Influence, History, and Achievements of Pittsburgh's AAPI Residents, Visit Pittsburgh

• DEI Resources: Supporting AAPI Communities, National Head Start Association

• A Guide for Parents on Talking to Kids about Asian American Identity & Racism, Immigrant History Initiative

• AAPI Books for Kids of All Ages, Chicago Parent

• 85 Brilliant Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) Children’s Books, Imagination Soup

• 18 Student Activities for AAPI Heritage Month, We Are Teachers

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 Books We Love for Kids, New York Public Library

May 8 – 12 is National Teacher Appreciation Week

• 10 Ways Families Can Celebrate Teachers, National PTA

  1. Teacher Appreciation Week: How Caregivers Can Celebrate and Show Gratitude, Harper Collins Publishers

  2. How Can Parents Best Support Teachers? We Asked, Education Week

  3. 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

• Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

  1. Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage?, National Institute of Mental Health

  2. A Teacher's Guide to Anxiety, The Child Mind Institute

  3. Parenting Guides on Child Mental Health Disorders, The Child Mind Institute

  4. Find additional resources under “Mental Health Awareness Month” above.

May 12 is National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day

• Self-Care for Child Care Professionals, HiMama

  1. Remember to Take Care of Yourself: Six Ideas for Family Child Care Providers, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

  2. 101 Thoughtful Ways to Express Gratitude for Your Childcare Staff, Brightwheel

  3. Find additional resources under, “National Teacher Appreciation Week” above.

May 14 is Mother’s Day

• Celebrate Mother’s Day in Pittsburgh, Visit Pittsburgh

  1. 10 Mother’s Day Craft Ideas for Kids, Artful Parent

  2. 33 Preschool Activities to Honor Mom in the Classroom, Teaching Expertise

  3. Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Caring for the Caregiver, Trying Together

  4. Find Child Care, ELRC Region 5

  5. Moms' Mental Health Matters, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

  6. National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746 (1-833-9-HELP4MOMS)

  7. Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

  8. Resources to Share with Expectant Families, Office of Head Start

May 28 is World Hunger Day

• Hunger & Poverty in America, Food Research and Action Center

  1. Child Hunger in America, Feeding America

  2. Food Resources for Pennsylvanians, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

  3. Food Resources in Pittsburgh, City of Pittsburgh

  4. Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

  5. Walk-In Food Distribution at The Hub, Trying Together