Carlson, one of Working Mother magazine's "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers," is holding a children's art exhibit in connection with the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) Week of the Young Child, Apr. 23-27.

Carlson's Child Care Center is accredited by the National Academy of Early Learning Programs, a division of NAEYC, and will hold its fifth annual Carlson Child Care Center Art Exhibit Thursday, Apr. 26. Children, from infant to pre-school, will display their artistic creations for family and friends at the center located near Carlson's world headquarters in Minnetonka. The children's artwork was fashioned from paint, paper mache, and other natural and recycled materials. All projects stemmed from the children listening to a story or song, play acting or observing nature.

NAEYC is the world's largest early childhood education association. The group promotes this annual week-long celebration to focus public attention on the needs of young children.

The Carlson Child Care Center, which is managed by Children's Home Society of Minnesota and has been operating for seven years, welcomed its second director, Michelle Koyama, last month. Koyama has more than 17 years of experience and brings an array of administrative talents to the center's children, staff and parents.

"I'm thrilled to be leading this outstanding facility," Koyama said. "We provide unparalleled child-care services for Carlson employees and their families. The wonderful partnership between Carlson and the center is built upon our shared mission to deliver quality care and provide unique learning opportunities like our art program."

In addition to hosting the art exhibit, the Carlson Child Care Center is focused on several other early childhood programs such as infant sign language, MacPhail music classes and early literacy. This programming has resulted in outstanding survey results from parents regarding their children's kindergarten readiness.

"I have always referred to the Carlson Child Care Center as a 'school' and not a daycare," said Amy Wilfert of Carlson. "The center is definitely a positive learning environment for my children. When my daughter completed her kindergarten screening in our district, the evaluator told me she was very confident in her skills and that her aptitude was above average on nearly all levels."