Paramus—If your little one is big enough for an early childhood education program, you have a decision to make: Where will you enroll your child? Parents who want to research their options can cover a lot of ground while staying in one place at the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey’s Early Childhood Education Fair, on Sunday, February 23 from 9 a.m. to 11:45 at The Frisch School, 120 West Century Road, Paramus.

Representatives from more than 17 Jewish early childhood education programs in Bergen County, from day-care to pre-kindergarten, will be on hand to discuss their classes and answer questions. While you are collecting information, your children can enjoy the fun and interactive performance of Penny and the Puppettes in an adjoining room. Show times are 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. There is no charge for admission.

Ellen Finkelstein, Coordinator of the Federation’s Shalom Baby program, said the idea for the fair came from a Federation assessment conducted last year of the North Jersey Jewish community’s needs for early childhood education programs, and from conversations with mothers at Shalom Baby events who asked for guidance about schools. Shalom Baby organizes Mommy and Me style play groups at Jewish schools and synagogues, and distributes gift bags of items donated by sponsors to families of newborns.

“I can’t give specific suggestions about schools, but I talk to the mothers and tell them who to contact,” Finkelstein said. “I spoke about organizing a fair at our play groups and everyone got very excited about the idea.”

Miriam Allenson, Jewish Federation’s Marketing Services Director, said Shalom Baby was started about 10 years ago to accommodate parents who wanted to come to Federation’s outreach programs but didn’t want to leave their babies. “Shalom Baby lets parents, who may not be affiliated with a synagogue, get together and meet other Jewish families while trying out Jewish organizations,” she said.

“Federation encourages young families to get involved in the Jewish community,” said Nancy Perlman, Manager of Community Outreach and Engagement. “Guiding families to Jewish programs is part of our goal to promote Jewish culture, identity, and education. Federation was in a unique position to have organized this Early Childhood Education Fair.”

For more information, contact Ellen Finkelstein at 201-820-3917

By Bracha Schwartz