Fordham University Graduate School of Education will honor renowned pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., with its first Young Child Champion Award on Friday, April 9 in New York.

T. Berry Brazelton, M.D.

Stephen Freedman, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief academic officer of Fordham University, will present the award to Brazelton at the 2010 Young Child Expo & Conference at the New York Hilton Hotel. Brazelton and Jayne Singer of the Brazelton Touchpoints Center will be the keynote speakers at the conference, which is presented by Fordham University Graduate School of Education and Los Niños Services, Inc. Brazelton will speak first, at 8:45 a.m.

The Young Child Champion Award recognizes early childhood professionals who are an extraordinary champion and advocate for young children and their families. “Thank you for this wonderful award,” said Brazelton. “I am proud to be a part of what you are doing. Your work is so important for children and families.”

Brazelton is the author of more than 40 books on pediatrics and child development, including the best-selling “Touchpoints: Your Child’s Emotional and Behavioral Development” and the seven titles in the “Brazelton Way” series: “Sleep,” “Discipline,” “Calming Your Fussy Baby,” “Feeding Your Child,” “Toilet Training,” “Understanding Sibling Rivalry” and “Mastering Anger and Aggression.” His television series, “What Every Baby Knows,” ran for 12 years and won two Emmy Awards. He is professor of pediatrics emeritus at Harvard Medical School and founder of the Brazelton Touchpoints Center in Boston.

Los Niños Services, Inc. is an award winning multilingual agency serving the developmental needs of young children and their families. They specialize in home and community-based evaluations and services, parent/child groups, service coordination and training for early childhood professionals. The Early Intervention Program is funded and regulated by the New York State Department of Health and, in New York City, by the New York City Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Alcoholism Services, and in Westchester County by the Westchester County Department of Health.

The 2010 Young Child Expo & Conference April 9-10 at the New York Hilton Hotel brings together top leaders in early childhood development to provide the latest information about essential topics in early childhood development. Early childhood professionals and parents learn about services, resources, and products to help all children reach their full potential. For more information visit youngchildexpo.com or call 212-787-9700, ext. 333.

– Syd Steinhardt