For Immediate Release:
May 25, 2016

NAEYC Announces a New National Collaboration to Set Professional Guidelines for All Early Childhood Educators

WASHINGTON, DC–To further its commitment to ensuring that all young children can access high-quality early learning experiences, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) announced the launch ofPower to the Profession, a national collaboration to set a unifying framework of professional guidelines for early childhood educators—from required competencies and qualifications to career pathways and compensation.

Power to the Profession comes in response to a report by The Institute of Medicine and National Research Council,Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8, which found a fragmented early childhood workforce in need of uniform qualifications, career pathways and professional supports. This fragmentation is one of the major contributors to the varying levels of access to and quality of early childhood education programs throughout the country.

Power to the Profession is a two-year initiative to define the professional field of practice that unifies early childhood educators across all states and settings so they can further enrich the lives of children and families.

“It’s time for early educators to define the profession on their terms—which is an essential characteristic of all recognized professions,” Rhian Evans Allvin, Executive Director of NAEYC, said. “While there are professional standards within programs, organizations and states, this initiative provides an opportunity to achieve a level of shared ownership that unifies the entire profession.”

Power to the Profession will give early educators an opportunity to contribute to a comprehensive set of the guidelines that advance their livelihoods and improve their lives. NAEYC has identified a national taskforce of organizations that represent and engage large groups of early childhood professionals. The collaboration will also include national stakeholder organizations with systems-level influence on the profession, as well as virtual and local in-person town hall meetings to allow early childhood educators and other experts to contribute their critical on-the-ground perspectives.

"As a former infant and toddler educator who now has the demanding task of recruiting, supporting, and retaining effective early educators, it is exciting to see these influential organizations come together to address complex and longstanding issues related to compensation and professional identity,” said Jamal Berry, Director at Educare Washington, DC.  "Intentionally providing educators the opportunity to also engage in this collective decision-making process further strengthens and validates this initiative."

National taskforce of organizations leading this initiative are:
1. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
2. American Federation of Teachers
3. Associate Degree Early Childhood Teacher Educators
4. Child Care Aware of America
5. Council for Professional Recognition
6. Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children
7. Early Care and Education Consortium
8. National Association for Family Child Care
9. National Association for the Education of Young Children
10. National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators
11. National Association of Elementary School Principals
12. National Education Association
13. National Head Start Association
14. Service Employees International Union
15. ZERO TO THREE

National stakeholder organizations that have confirmed their participation are:
1. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
2. BUILD Initiative
3. Center for American Progress
4. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
5. Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes
6. CLASP
7. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
8. Council of Chief State School Officers
9. Data Quality Campaign
10. First Five Years Fund
11. McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership
12. Military Child Education Coalition
13. National Academy of Sciences
14. National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education
15. National Association of State Boards of Education
16. National Black Child Development Institute
17. National Council of La Raza
18. National Governors Association
19. National Institute for Early Education Research
20. National League of Cities
21. National Women’s Law Center
22. National Workforce Registry Alliance
23. New America
24. Ounce of Prevention Fund
25. Save the Children
26. TEACH Early Childhood National Center

About NAEYC: NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children. Learn more at www.naeyc.org.