a code of ethics for NAEYC began in 1984 with a survey in Young Children( Feeney & Kipnis 1985). Leaders in the code’ s development also conducted workshops in which participants worked to identify the field’ s core values and analyzed some of the ethical issues raised in survey responses. They relied on this input from NAEYC’ s members as well as their research on the codes of ethics in other fields to prepare a draft code to share with the Governing Board.
The initial version of the“ Code of Ethical Conduct” was published in 1989( NAEYC 1989). Revisions designed to keep the Code current and to address emerging issues in the field were approved in 1992( Feeney & Kipnis 1992), 1997( NAEYC 1998), and 2005( NAEYC 2005a). NAEYC also developed supplements for adult educators( NAEYC 2004) and program administrators( NAEYC 2006, 2011). The Code was reaffirmed and updated in 2011, including changes to strengthen the ethical responsibilities to families.
In late 2022, the NAEYC Governing Board appointed a workgroup to revise the Code once again to ensure that it was current and reflective of emerging issues in the field.( For more information about the revision process, see“ Showing Our Work.”) The final version of the revision was approved by the Governing Board in July of 2005 and published in October of that year( NAEYC 2005a).
As Tonia R. Durden( current NAEYC Governing Board president) shares,
Ethical dilemmas are hard. But with the Code of Ethics, and the community that is built around it, you are not alone. You are surrounded by early childhood educators that stand with you in leaning into the ethical responsibilities that you hold as an early childhood professional in your work with children, families, and your colleagues.( 2025)
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