PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Educators with the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County will be among thousands making the trip to Tallahassee for Children’s Week.

To honor the annual event at the state capitol, pre-kindergarten aged students at Magnolia Day School traced and painted their hands to create colorful art that will hang in the rotunda for lawmakers, educators, and advocates to see.

Lindsay Carson, CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, says the colorful handprint art is symbolic of just how important it is to take care of young children in the state and to show that everyone has a hand in their futures.

Carson plans to make the trip to Tallahassee Monday and says she’s been a part of Children’s Week in years past. The focus this year, she said, is getting parents affordable access to good quality early-learning programs.

“Access to quality early learning prepares the kids for kindergarten but it also makes it affordable for families so that they’re not forced with those decisions or staying home or leaving their children in a setting that may not be ideal,” she said. “We want them to work so our businesses can continue to thrive.”

Pinellas County has just under 500 early-learning and VPK programs. The Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County is funded through the Florida Department of Education, so the team is closely watching what legislation is working its way to the governor’s desk.

Organizers of Children’s Week say it’s become the largest event in the state that honors children, youth, and advocates.