Garnett S. Booker III
implementation of the Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession. That consensus document was created by NAEYC and 14 other national organizations representing members of the early childhood education field. It articulates the career pathways, competencies, qualifications, standards, compensation, and infrastructure that will lead to a unified and diverse early childhood education profession serving children birth through age 8 across states and settings.
What NAEYC means to me: After I joined NAEYC in 2012, someone inside the organization realized how passionate I was about family child care and asked me to facilitate the Family Child Care Interest Forum. From there, I was able to take on additional leadership roles. I met others in the industry, which helped me on my advocacy journey. I gained confidence and began to speak about family child care. I have been a featured speaker at NAECY’ s Professional Learning Institute. I now look to be a mentor to other family child care educators. me. I have found that there is a career path as a family child care educator. Education happens in all sorts of environments, and all those environments are important.
What I hope for the future: The year I joined NAEYC was a pivotal one. NAEYC was making a push for its membership and the Governing Board to reflect what the field looks like. I’ ve watched the association evolve and make changes to ensure that all educators are represented. That’ s amazing— to be able to see these changes so visibly. Look at the president, the Board members, the conference offerings: Diversity, equity, and inclusion are always central to NAEYC’ s work. We must continue to move forward.
NAEYCNEWS
What NAEYC’ s centennial means to me: As a family child care educator, NAEYC’ s 100th anniversary reminds me that I am part of a larger early childhood community, one that values my expertise and advocacy. For a century, NAEYC has put children, families, and educators first while grounding its work in research and community. In a field that often feels divided by federal, state, and local policy, NAEYC has created space for connection and progress. One hundred years of people believing in this mission matters, and I am proud to be part of that legacy.
How the profession has changed: I see more family child care educators becoming advocates. They are business owners; they are providing important services for their communities; they are speaking out and sharing their expertise and stories. When I first entered the field, the prevailing thought was that you had to move outside of family child care and into the public schools to have a meaningful career. But I have had people in this professional community who support me and uplift
Garnett S. Booker III
Kindergarten teacher Oakridge Elementary School Arlington, Virginia Summer 2022 Feature Teacher
“ This isn’ t work. It’ s a duty.”
For more than 15 years, Garnett S. Booker III has worked to create caring communities of learners in both early childhood and adult settings. He has taught pre-K, kindergarten, and primary-age children throughout the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, working in both general education and multilingual settings. He has worked to advance the early childhood
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