OURPROUDHERITAGE this goal occurred in 1986: NAEYC published its foundational position statement“ Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Programs for 4- and 5-Year- Olds”( NAEYC 1986). The document was developed in response to the trend toward“ push-down curriculum” in the early primary grades and the growing number of 4-year-olds in public schools. The statement was also precipitated by the need to more clearly define developmentally appropriate for programs seeking NAEYC accreditation.
In 1986, Early Childhood Research Quarterly was launched, with Dr. Katz as the founding editor. It was published by Ablex and sponsored by NAEYC, further cementing the professional identity of the field.
NAEYC adopted the expanded position statement“ Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8” in 1987. The accompanying book was published that year and became a NAEYC bestseller( Bredekamp 1987). Since then, promoting DAP( as it has come to be called) has become a major goal of much of NAEYC’ s work. As a follow-up, in the early 1990s, NAEYC adopted“ Guidelines for Appropriate Curriculum Content and Assessment in Programs Serving Children Ages 3 Through 8”( NAEYC & NAECS / SDE 1991). Because DAP describes how to teach but not what to teach, these guidelines were developed in collaboration with the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education. Another major step toward professionalization of early childhood education and quality practices happened with NAEYC’ s adoption of the foundational position statement“ Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment” in 1989( NAEYC 1989).
One of the most powerful and long-lasting achievements of NAEYC was the publication of Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children by Louise Derman-Sparks and the A. B. C. Task Force in 1989. This publication clearly demonstrated the association’ s firm commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and its subsequent editions have continued to have a significant impact on the field.
NAEYC’ s first book focused on anti-bias education.
A strength of NAEYC has always been its willingness to take positions on issues of controversy. In the late 1980s, the organization adopted position statements on critical issues: Standardized testing of young children; licensing and regulations; and quality, compensation, and affordability. NAEYC developed its Reaching the Full Cost of Quality Campaign to highlight the interconnections between quality, compensation, and affordability, which became an effective communication and advocacy strategy as NAEYC expanded its public policy and advocacy efforts( Willer 2001). During this time period, the association worked in collaboration with other national organizations to achieve the first standalone federal child care bill, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, in 1990( Willer 2001). By strengthening collaboration and building community within and alongside the organization, NAEYC helped members become more effective advocates.
In the 1990s, NAEYC once again focused on professional preparation of educators. With a grant from the Carnegie Foundation, NAEYC launched the National Institute for Early Childhood
14 Young Children
Spring 2026