The new membership costs $72 annually. 

We believe this is a competitive price that reflects the incredible value you receive as a NAEYC member. Compared to other professional organizations, NAEYC offers more benefits, often at a lower cost. Your membership supports our work to provide excellent resources, professional development, and advocacy for the early childhood field. This price also allows us to continue investing in the things that matter most to our members and the profession.  

We understand that cost is a factor for many educators, and we're committed to making membership as accessible as possible while sustaining our mission and providing exceptional value. 

We're changing our membership model because we heard from many members that our old system wasn't working well. Members told us that our website and online resources were difficult to use, some membership options were too expensive, and the benefits weren't equally distributed across different membership levels. Our market research also confirmed that our membership represented just a fraction of the early education sector, which we know is an incredibly dispersed and diverse mix of professionals … all of whom deserve the support, recognition and resources that NAEYC provides and advocates for on behalf of the profession. Evolving our membership model aims to address these challenges and capture these opportunities by making things easier to use and access, offering a more affordable and equitable experience for everyone, providing valuable benefits, and ensuring NAEYC remains strong for the future.

Yes, from Feb 21st – March 3rd, access to the member portal and HELLO community will be temporarily unavailable and no new memberships or renewals will be able to be processed. You will still have general access to our website and be able to reach us by sending us an email at [email protected] or calling our Customer Care Team at 800-424-2460. However, staff cannot access the records or complete transactions during the downtime, but they will be happy to answer your questions. Note that we’ll be extending our hours to 8:00 PM EST/ 5:00 PM PST during launch week.

Monday, March 3, 2025, at 11:00 AM EST 

No, current members will transition automatically to the new structure with expanded benefits and portal access. The only thing you will need to do is reset your password for the member portal using the new log in steps that will be sent to you via email.

You can access all your member benefits through the new and improved NAEYC member portal. It's your one-stop shop for accessing NAEYC, whether you're looking to connect with other members, enhance your skills, register for events, or even manage your program's accreditation. We've made the portal easier to use, with improved navigation, helpful task reminders, and a personalized dashboard to keep track of your membership benefits and activities. 

The portal gives you easy access to the HELLO online community, where you can connect with colleagues and join discussions. You'll also find professional development tools like online courses and webinars, as well as a convenient way to register for conferences and events. If you're a program director, you can access accreditation resources and manage your program's accreditation process with single sign-on and just a few clicks.  

Teaching Young Children (TYC) is retiring, but its practical, practitioner-focused spirit lives on in our new member-exclusive magazine, Educating Young Children (EYC). EYC expands on TYC’s foundation, showcasing stories of success, shared learning, and innovation across the wider early learning professional community in an interactive digital format. The first issue will debut in early April.  

Young Children, our award-winning, peer-reviewed journal, will also get a digital transformation. As a valued member, you’ll receive access to Young Children archives and two free issues with your welcome basket. So, you can look forward to the Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 issues as they are published. After this trial period, members will have the opportunity to subscribe at a special discounted rate.  

Members will have one year of access to the digital archive of NAEYC's peer-reviewed journal Young Children, which includes access to issues dating back to 1945 through JSTOR (a digital library of academic resources). 

The new membership model is designed with your feedback in mind. It aims to be more equitable and accessible for all members. Now, everyone gets the same great benefits, creating a more balanced and straightforward experience. We've improved our back-end systems and member portal to make them easier to navigate, and we're offering benefits like digital resources, professional development, and advocacy support that are valuable and relevant to everyone. By making membership more inclusive, we're building a stronger and more engaged community of early childhood professionals.