to young children determines the future of man’ s struggle to improve society.( 52, emphasis in the original)
Even from its inception, the message in NAEYC’ s flagship journal was clear: Collaboration across community members is key to the success of our field and, ultimately, society. All members of the community, especially its leaders, have a role to play in educating each and every child.
Inclusive Attitudes Toward Children: Collaborating to Help All Children Succeed
As we looked through and discussed these early issues, we noted that the Bulletin shared many instances of collaboration among professionals in the field and across disciplines to serve children with disabilities.
According to Kunesh’ s( 1990) overview of early childhood education, the mid-1940s and 1950s were challenging decades for early childhood educators. As federal funding was withdrawn, early education became increasingly accessible only to wealthier families. Programs relied largely on local governments and private philanthropists to keep their doors open.
Conditions were even more serious for children with disabilities. Public schools offered segregated placements far from children’ s homes( Wright & Wright 2006) or ignored their needs entirely. The era was often described as one of stagnation and regression( De Los Santos & Kupczynski 2019).“ Good special education programs were rare and difficult to access. For most children with disabilities, special education programs were simply not available”( Wright & Wright 2006, 12).
Despite these challenges, the first decade of the Bulletin shows that early childhood educators advocated for the inclusion of children with disabilities. Articles consistently highlighted ways that the workforce was prepared to collaborate with communities and professionals to support these children and their families. Columns and features informed teachers about effective practices; offered guidance for navigating changing times; explained legislative changes and ways to get involved; and provided encouragement for supporting children. For example,
› In“ What Makes a Good Nursery School Teacher,” Abigail A. Eliot( 1955) shared three qualities of effective teachers for all children: A genuine interest in the field, professional skills and dispositions aligned with the teaching profession, and an educational background that included knowledge of child development.
›“ The Changing Role of the Nursery School,” by Eveline Omwake( 1954), explained how early education programs had become integral places for learning about and observing child development.
› In its Let’ s Talk Legislation column, the Bulletin consistently offered resources to help readers become informed about legislative efforts at state and national levels( e. g.,“ Looking for Help on State Legislation?” in 1945).
› Noting that children learn from educators’ modeling, Mary Ann Wolman’ s“ Interpreting the Needs of the‘ Special Child’ to Parents and Children of the‘ Normal Group’”( 1954) encouraged teachers to create a climate of belonging and acceptance in their classrooms.
This focus on children with disabilities was intriguing, given that it would be more than two decades before landmark cases secured their educational rights( e. g., Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia). So too was the attention given to refugees— a topic that continues to dominate political discourse today. A discussion of both of these issues, including how they were addressed in the Bulletin and how they have appeared in Young Children through the years, follows.
Spring 2026 Young Children 73