Building Professionalism, Quality, and Equity

NAEYC’ s First 100 Years

Blythe F. Hinitz, Ed Greene, Barbara A. Willer, and Sue Bredekamp

An organization’ s past is the foundation for its present and its future. The memories, the documents and publications, the recounting of activities, and the resulting support for the field of early childhood education tell the story of the first 100 years of the National Association for the Education of Young Children( NAEYC).

As Dr. Dorothy W. Hewes, historian of NAEYC, wrote:

Understanding the past helps us escape short range perspectives and understand the origins of the present. Perhaps the most important contribution is to help define early childhood education.... A profession’ s historical knowledge provides pride and a shared memory for its members and helps establish the respect of those in other professions.( Lascarides & Hinitz 2011, xvi)

In this column, we highlight key people, positions, and actions over the decades that have made this respected professional organization what it is today( Katz 1985). As we survey NAEYC’ s history, three broad, persistent goals stand out:

› Improving early childhood professional preparation and equitable practice

› Building public understanding and support for high-quality early childhood education programs

› Establishing a strong, inclusive organization

6 Young Children

Spring 2026