Held with and on Behalf of the Field

NAEYC Position Statements

The story of NAEYC would not be complete without a closer look at its position statements. Position statements are grounded in and exemplify NAEYC’ s mission to promote high-quality early learning for each and every child, birth through age 8. Each one has its own journey of how and why it was developed and has evolved over time, but all of them are used by the Governing Board to state the association’ s position on key complex and sometimes controversial issues related to early childhood education practice, policy, and professional development. They create a foundation to highlight the research base, spur dialogue, bring about consensus, and support positive change for the field.

An essential ingredient is consensus: Position statements are developed and revised through a consensus-building approach, which involves reviewing the evidence base and gathering diverse perspectives. Members of NAEYC and the broader field play a critical role by giving feedback throughout the process. Through its position statements, NAEYC presents a shared

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