Coconut Creek Boy with Down Syndrome Competing for Toddler of the Year Award

Jayce Kelly's National Competition

• 🏆 Jayce Kelly, a nearly three-year-old boy from Coconut Creek, is currently in sixth place in a nationwide competition to be named Toddler of the Year.
• 💡 His mother, Jocelyn Kelly, entered him into the contest to promote inclusivity and highlight the potential of children with intellectual disabilities.

Promoting Inclusivity in Education

• 🏫 Jocelyn Kelly shares concerns about families moving out of state due to a lack of inclusive classroom options for their children with special needs.
• 🤝 She emphasizes that inclusion means interacting with and teaching children with disabilities in everyday settings like playgrounds and classrooms.

Health and Vaccination Concerns

• 💉 Kelly states her children are vaccinated, but acknowledges the risks unvaccinated populations pose to children with Down syndrome or other disabilities who may have compromised health.
• ⚠️ She notes that while her son is in good health, many children with disabilities are not, making classroom environments potentially dangerous for them.

Voting and Competition Details

• 🗳️ The competition ends the first week of August, with votes cast on the current day counting as double until midnight.
• 💻 Information on how to vote for Jayce can be found on the Local 10 website.