The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is celebrating its 100th anniversary, a milestone that underscores a century of advocacy, innovation, and leadership in early childhood education across the United States.

Centennial Milestones

Founded in 1926 as the National Association for Nursery Education, NAEYC began with a simple belief: young children deserve better, and the people who care for them deserve a voice. Today the organization is the nation’s largest early childhood education association, with tens of thousands of members, 50 state affiliates, more than 5,800 accredited early learning programs serving over half a million children and families, and nearly 180 accredited higher‑education programs training the next generation of educators.

Key historic achievements include publishing the first professional standards in 1929, helping develop the Child Development Associate credential in the 1970s, launching the first voluntary national accreditation system in 1985, establishing Developmentally Appropriate Practice guidelines in 1987, and creating the field’s first Code of Ethics in 1989. More recently, NAEYC led the “Power to the Profession” collaboration (2017‑2020), which produced a unified framework for career pathways, qualifications, and compensation recommendations for the early childhood workforce.

Current Crisis for Educators

Despite clear research showing that high‑quality early childhood education improves outcomes for children, families, and communities, today’s educators remain undervalued. NAEYC reports that early childhood educators earn a median wage of $15.41 per hour, while families pay an average of $13,128 per year for child care. “Families can’t afford to pay more, educators can’t afford to earn less,” said NAEYC CEO Michelle Kang. “Our entire nation suffers as parents can’t find or afford the high‑quality care they need, pulling themselves out of the workforce in the process.”

Year of Reflections

To mark the centennial, NAEYC has launched a “Year of Reflections,” a storytelling initiative inviting educators, families, and advocates to share the moments, mentors, and milestones that have shaped their journeys. Monthly themes throughout 2026 will highlight beginnings, workforce advocacy, and a vision for the future, helping inform the organization’s next chapter.

NAEYC’s leadership emphasizes that investing in early childhood educators—through better compensation, professional development, and public recognition—directly invests in the nation’s collective future.

Original reporting: The Washington Informer — read the source article.