When I was growing up, children’s voices were at the center of family life. Children’s thoughts, feelings, and questions filled our home and daily interactions. I remember that as a child, my voice and perspective were honored. When I was 6 years old, my mom told my sisters and me that we could ask her anything—there were no topics or questions that were off-limits, and this was how things would always be in our family. It was liberating to know that I was empowered and encouraged to use my voice, seek clarity, and satisfy my curiosity. Experiences like this had an immeasurable impact on my development and learning and left an indelible mark on my professional work and my own parenting. Now, my children’s voices are at the center of our family life.

Centering children’s voices is a commitment for NAEYC and for dedicated early childhood educators like you. Responsive and effective early learning settings ensure every child is heard and valued. They cultivate a sense of belonging and consistently recognize and encourage diverse identities and viewpoints. Indeed, early childhood education is most effective when learning tools, environments, and teaching practices honor and support each child’s unique assets, learning needs, and social and cultural contexts.

Listening to children and honoring their voices and perspectives connect to agency, as described in NAEYC’s position statement on developmentally appropriate practice. “Opportunities for agency—that is, the ability to make and act upon choices about what activities one will engage in and how those activities will proceed—must be widely available for all children, not limited as a reward after completing other tasks or only offered to high-achieving students.” Respecting children’s agency depends on intentional planning, teaching, and assessment: children’s voices and identities are central to understanding and making these decisions.

The stakes are high—each child deserves to be heard and supported, and each family deserves access to high-quality care and education for their child. Because of their critical role in fostering children’s learning and development, the stakes are high for early childhood educators too. They deserve to have their voices at the center of the policies and decisions that impact their professional work and identities. This became clear to me years ago when I began my graduate work at the Erikson Institute. It is also a major reason I started and continue to advocate for educators and the children and families they serve, particularly those marginalized because of their race, culture, and other aspects of their identities.

Educators are central to NAEYC’s mission, values, and daily work; therefore, NAEYC is committed to centering educators’ voices through policy and advocacy efforts, publications and events, program accreditation, and much more. Just recently, at the Annual Conference in Washington, DC, NAEYC gathered signatures and letters from the over 6,000 attendees, who sent letters to their elected officials to #savechildcare.

We need and value you and your work—I invite you to share your voice and the voices of the children and families in your care. Here are some ways you can begin or continue the journey of early childhood advocacy with NAEYC and beyond:

• Connect with your NAEYC affiliate. Affiliates serve as a vital network of early childhood professionals engaged in local and state advocacy work, among other activities.
• Be on the lookout for advocacy efforts and events locally and nationally, such as at NAEYC’s Public Policy Forum held in February each year. Observing how others engage in advocacy can be both inspiring and informational, sparking ideas for your own advocacy goals and action steps.
• Reflect on and document your personal and professional story. One memorable moment in your professional life can demonstrate the essential work of early childhood educators. Sharing your experience can showcase the unique context in which you contribute to children’s learning and growth, and it can highlight the resources needed to do that important work.
• Share your story with other educators and with elected officials. Hearing directly from constituents—individually and collectively—about the real situations they face, their successes, and their challenges will propel officials toward action. Your voice and story will stay with them as they make policy decisions. Start by connecting with local and state representatives through email, online, by phone, during a virtual meeting or an in-person event.

NAEYC recognizes and honors your perspective and voice, and I look forward to joining you and the rest of the organization as we continue to center educators’ and children’s voices in the work that we do.

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