May 5, 2022 New Commission Releases Call for Applications from Early Childhood Educators Early childhood educators are invited to apply to serve on national a new Commission on Professional Excellence in Early Childhood Education. About the Commission Seventeen organizations – including the National Education Association (NEA), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and ZERO TO THREE – dedicated to young children formed the commission “to develop and promote the framework for a unified, cohesive, and equitable early childhood education profession informed by and in partnership with early childhood educators across states and settings,” according to a news release. The Commission is guided by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council’s Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 report, the Power to the Profession Task Force’s Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession, and The Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators. Eligibility The Commission is opening an application process for individual early childhood educators to apply to be co-equal, full voting members. Eligibility and criteria information for applicants are available online. Apply The application is available in English and Spanish. Applications are open until Friday, May 27. The Commission will appoint up to seven early childhood educators, representing a diverse cross-section of the profession.
March 2, 2022 Survey: Chronic Child Care Staffing Shortages Persist, Threaten Economy To understand the depth of the ongoing child care crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has been surveying thousands of programs across states and settings. Current survey results show that federal and state relief funds have provided critical support for stabilizing child care programs. NAEYC Pandemic Survey NAEYC’s newest survey results, completed in January 2022 by nearly 5,000 respondents working in child care centers and family child care homes, shows that two-thirds of respondents reported experiencing a staffing shortage that affected their ability to serve families. The survey also showed that stabilization grants provided through the American Rescue Plan were critical in helping child care facilities stay open, including during the recent COVID-19 Omicron wave, even if providers were simultaneously unable to serve all families who needed care. Statistics 75% of respondents reported that the end of stabilization grants would have a negative or highly negative effect on their programs. Of the respondents who said they knew enough about Build Back Better’s investments in child care and pre-k to answer the question, 89% agreed that it would “secure the future of our program,” including 86% of respondents from family child care homes and 85% of respondents from faith-based programs. 28% of respondents reported that they are definitely or maybe considering leaving their program or closing their child care home in 2022. This comes on top of recent findings from Child Care Aware of America indicating that between December 2019 and March 2021—during the pandemic but before ARP funds started to go out—8,889 child care centers and 6,957 licensed family child care homes were permanently closed. More Information For access to prior survey data and analyses: Visit NAEYC.org/pandemic-surveys Read the Survey Brief: Saved But Not Solved: America’s Economy Needs Congress to Fund Child Care Read the press release
February 9, 2022 NAEYC Virtual Public Policy Forum Join NAEYC for live engagement, virtual Congressional visits, and opportunities to build connections with educators, advocates, and allies in your state and local community. Visit the 2022 Public Policy Forum website for more information on sessions and speakers, and to register for this event. Registration will close on February 22, 2022. Reserve your spot today to become part of this strong, supportive, and growing community of advocates standing up for our nation’s children, families, and early childhood educators. NAEYC Members may attend this year’s Virtual Public Policy Forum at no cost. Individuals must be a member by February 20 to qualify for this benefit. About the Event Sunday, February 27 | 1 – 4:30 p.m. Monday, February 28 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. In order to provide participants with the most timely and relevant information and access to speakers and content, NAEYC shares the agenda and resources shortly before the start of the policy forum. Once registered, the state leader will contact participants in mid-February with details and state and community Congressional visits. About NAEYC NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. They advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
January 11, 2022 January 2022 NAEYC Survey of the Field Available The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is conducting a new survey to gather current data from the field to inform federal and state actions on child care. About the Survey From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NAEYC has been surveying child care programs to convey the challenges they are facing across states and settings. Early childhood educators can answer the questions regardless of whether their child care program is open, closed, or somewhere in between, and regardless of what kind of child care program they work in, or what role they have there. The survey will close on Monday, January 17, 2022. Child Care Survey in English Child Care Survey in Spanish
November 19, 2020 #SaveChildCare Wednesdays The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is asking all child care champions to support early childhood educators and families by participating in #SaveChildCare Wednesdays each week at 4:50 p.m. About Quality child care is critical to the recovery of the current economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates are asked to take action each Wednesday on social media and call on Congress to prioritize passing a COVID-19 relief package that includes at least $50 billion in dedicated funding to stabilize the child care sector. Participate Everything you need to engage each week can be accessed via this #SaveChildCare Day of ActionToolkit. The toolkit is regularly updated with messaging and contains additional links and content for social media tiles, shareable graphics, and sample posts in English and Spanish from a range of organizations.
November 17, 2020 Child Care Programs: Submit Your Experience The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is conducting a survey to gather information from the early childhood field to inform federal and state actions on child care. This survey is intended for early learning professionals. About Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NAEYC has been collecting survey responses from early learning professionals to convey the challenges child care programs are facing across states and settings. Data collected through this survey will be shared with policymakers to build a deeper understanding of the ongoing urgency of the challenges programs are facing. Early childhood educators can answer the questions regardless of whether their child care program is open, closed, or somewhere in between, and regardless of what kind of child care program they work in, or what role they have there. Take The Survey To submit your experience, complete the online survey by November 22, 2020. NAEYC will select 10 respondents at random to receive a $50 gift card. Winners will be notified on December 18, 2020. Child Care Survey (English) Child Care Survey (Spanish) More Information For more information, contact advocacy@naeyc.org.
September 30, 2020 Digital Media Literacy: A Deeper Look Are you interested in exploring guidance on technology and digital media use with young children? Join Trying Together on October 8 for our virtual session, “Digital Media Literacy: A Deeper Look: NAEYC/Fred Rogers Center Position Statement.” About This professional development course is designed for educators and administrators to critically examine and develop a deep understanding of the intentions and guidance of the NAEYC Fred Rogers Center position statement. The course will encourage reflective practices to positively influence teaching, policy development, and dialogue about young children and technology. Session Details Session Date: Thursday, October 8, 2020 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Instructor: Katherine Gullone Core Knowledge Area: Professional and Leadership CDA Content Area: Maintaining Professionalism Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 6, 2020 Registration To register, visit the course PD Registry page. Space is limited. Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. PQAS and Act 48 credit available. If you do not have a PD Registry account, please complete this online form to create one. If you are unable to create an account, please contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org for more information. More Information For questions or more information, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.
September 18, 2020 Teaching Preschool with an Equity Lens Are you interested in learning how to promote equity in your preschool classroom? Join the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in October and November for their facilitated online mini-course, “Each & Every Child: Teaching Preschool with an Equity Lens.” About This online course will focus on what equity can look like for teachers working with children ages three to five years old on a day-to-day basis in the classroom. Participants will learn strategies and tips on how to support the learning and development of each child in their classroom through intentional play opportunities and guided instructional supports. Course Timeline This course includes four hours of self-paced learning and three hours of face-to-face video meetings with a facilitator over the course of four weeks: October 5, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. October 19, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. November 2, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Registration To register for this facilitated course, visit the NAEYC website. All registrations must be submitted by October 1, 2020. Space is limited.
September 11, 2020 NAEYC Annual Conference: Virtual To maintain the health and safety of its audience, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) will be hosting its 2020 Annual Conference virtually, with events taking place from November 8–10, 2020. About The NAEYC Annual Conference is the largest early childhood education conference in the world. Each year, thousands of teachers, program administrators, students, and researchers choose from hundreds of presentations and exhibits to explore the latest trends and research in the early childhood field. More information on professional development sessions and participating exhibitors will be available soon. Please continue to monitor the NAEYC website for future updates. Registration Registration for this event opens on Monday, September 14. To register and learn more, visit the NAEYC website.
May 4, 2020 Talking to and Supporting Children and Ourselves During the Pandemic On May 7, David J Schonfeld, MD, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and Director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, will provide a webinar on talking to and supporting children and ourselves during the pandemic for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). About During the webinar, Schonfeld will provide suggestions for early childhood educators on how to talk with young children about the recent pandemic to promote their understanding and adjustment, as well as practical advice that can be shared with families on how to support their children’s adjustment and how they can serve as effective models of coping techniques. Adults are impacted at least as much as children, so a focus of the presentation will address professional self-care. Free resources available from the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement and the Coalition to Support Grieving Students will be highlighted. Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance for viewing this webinar. Registration To register, please visit the event webpage. For more webinar options, visit the Trying Together Events page. *Information provided by NAEYC
