In Martina Eastman’s letter to the editor (“Pedestrian safety education should start early,” Jan. 1), she wrote of the need for pedestrian education.

I am pleased to share that Head Start programs in Maine and across our country are required to provide education and training on pedestrian safety to children and their parents.

At the start of every year all children and parents at Promise Early Education Center, Androscoggin County’s federally funded Head Start program, receive information and training on vehicle and pedestrian safety. Children learn to look both ways, use crosswalks, and cross the street with an adult.

Classrooms incorporate pedestrian safety into children’s play, creating roads out of blocks and taking turns as a crossing guard on the playground.

Starting early is important, as pedestrian safety allows preschoolers to become independent while teaching them to explore safely. It can be difficult for drivers to see children, making it important that children understand pedestrian safety and learn to follow rules to avoid dangerous risks.

Betsy Norcross Plourde, Auburn, executive director of Promise Early Education Center

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