Young children typically think about their needs and gradually learn to care about the needs of others. An important aspect of development is for children to learn and interact with people around [Page 1246]them, first family and then community, and to care about the needs of themselves and others. Usually, the first people young children come into regular contact with are their family members, and their home makes up their immediate surroundings; soon after they begin to interact with their community. Children come to understand how elements of their community, such as school, faith-based institutions, government, and civic organizations influence them. It is therefore the responsibility of families and educators to help young children learn about their community and their role in it. Integrating social ...