( America for Early Ed, n. d.). In 2016, the Public Policy Forum was launched. This dedicated policy and advocacy conference built upon previous efforts in which state and national NAEYC leaders would lobby Congress as part of leadership conferences that began in the early 1980s.
In 2017, NAEYC convened a multiyear effort called Power to the Profession. It was a collaborative effort among early childhood membership organizations— with extensive input from the field— to define the early childhood profession by establishing a unifying framework for career pathways, knowledge and competencies, qualifications, standards, and compensation. It led to the adoption of NAEYC’ s foundational position statement“ Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators”( NAEYC 2020b), which was released in 2020 in conjunction with the Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession( American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees et al. 2020).
A renewed focus on NAEYC position statements characterized this decade. Five interconnected foundational statements that are central to all NAEYC work were revised and adopted.( See“ Held with and on Behalf of the Field: NAEYC Position Statements” in this issue). These include:
›“ Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education”( NAEYC 2019)
›“ Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators”( NAEYC 2020b)
›“ Developmentally Appropriate Practice”( NAEYC 2020a)
›“ Early Childhood Program Standards”( NAEYC 2025b)
›“ Code of Ethics for Early Childhood Educators”( NAEYC 2025a)
This decade was also characterized by significant internal and external changes. The COVID-19 pandemic health and safety precautions required forgoing in-person conferences and replacing them with virtual events in 2020 and 2021. Child care and early learning programs were particularly impacted by the pandemic, with NAEYC working to support them through advocacy and other efforts. Executive leadership changed in 2022 when Allvin left NAEYC and Michelle Kang was named chief executive officer. Under her leadership, a more streamlined membership structure was adopted, and work is underway to update the organization’ s strategic direction.
OURPROUDHERITAGE
NAEYC partnered with multiple organizations to create a unifying framework for the profession.
Given that NANE’ s first publication focused on early childhood program quality, it is fitting that NAEYC is closing its first century with the release of a revised and streamlined accreditation process to recognize quality programs. The new model offers programs progressive tiers( recognition, accreditation, and accreditation +), which enable more programs to engage in and show their commitment to quality practices and to support continuous improvement.
Spring 2026 Young Children 17