OURPROUDHERITAGE
Caucus( Day, n. d.) as well as the creation of a task force to“ study the organization’ s procedures for representation, communication and decisionmaking and recommend to the Board procedures for reorganizing the Association”( Omwake 1969, 66).
Starting in 1971, NAEYC established a national week of celebration.
The early 1970s brought further advancements to NAEYC. In 1971, the association established the first national celebration of the Week of the Young Child, which promotes the public’ s awareness and appreciation for the importance of early childhood education. The following year, Dr. Smith took over as executive director, partnering with Dr. J. D. Andrews, who served as chief operations officer. Together, they led NAEYC through a period of phenomenal growth, enhancing its reach and influence. In 1974, the Board approved and NAEYC introduced the Membership Action Grants initiative, which provided financial support to help groups of NAEYC members create and implement projects that would positively impact children in their contexts( Ward 1974, 96L; Williams et al. 1975, 50). This initiative also expanded the association’ s impact on the broader early childhood education landscape.
in professional preparation and practices. From 1966 to 1975, NAEYC not only solidified its infrastructure and leadership but also actively engaged with pressing social issues, fostering a commitment to equity and quality in early childhood education( Kamara et al. 1975). This dedication laid the foundation for future advancements in the years to come.
1976 – 1985
Over the next two decades, NAEYC leaders worked tirelessly to advance professional practice and preparation, building on the legacy of the founders. Simultaneously, they worked to improve the quality of early childhood programs for children. In doing so, NAEYC became the unrivaled standard-setting organization for the field by adopting foundational and additional position statements on critically important topics affecting the lives of young children and providing resources and systems to support their implementation.
In 1974, the organization convened a small conference focused on addressing the critical challenge of developing a new model for early childhood teacher education, reflecting its commitment to innovation and improvement
A publication celebrating NAEYC’ s 50th anniversary.
12 Young Children
Spring 2026