Public Policy

HAEYC promotes national, state and local public policies that support a system of well-financed, high quality early childhood education programs in a range of settings, including child care centers, family child care homes, and schools.

Using evidence-based research, HAEYC strives to advocate for quality early learning experiences for all keiki. Our goal is to improving the public’s understanding, support, and funding of high quality programs serving young children and their families through public policy initiatives and public awareness efforts.

Federal role in early childhood

The federal role in early childhood care and education is a critical one. The appropriate role of the federal government is to:

• Partner with states and local communities to help ensure equal education opportunity and excellence in early childhood education programs and to ensure that children and their families have access to programs, services and supports that promote health, nutrition, economic independence and stability, and social competencies;
• Provide resources targeted to national goals in early childhood education and to help states and localities assist special populations, such as economically disadvantaged children, children with disabilities, and children whose native language is other than English, to meet high academic standards and develop personal, health, and social competencies;
• Protect the civil rights of all children, families, and early childhood program personnel; and
• Undertake and promote research, data collection and analysis, program evaluation, and dissemination of child development, effective early childhood education programs and services, and professional development programs Establish requirements for credentials and professional licensure, including preparation and ongoing professional development, and articulation between two-year and four-year institutions of higher education and other providers of professional development;
• Coordinate programs and services both within and among state agencies and entities responsible for early childhood education and related services, such as health, family support, and other human services;
• Provide technical assistance to local agencies and entities, programs, and individual providers of early childhood education; and
• Undertake data collection, analysis and evaluations of programs and services provided with state funds and disseminate the findings widely.
• Provide additional financial resources in addition to technical assistance and other in-kind supports that will enhance access to and the quality of early childhood education programs in the state, and in so doing, ensure that additional resources do not supplant other federal, state, local or private dollars for similar purposes.
• Support the provision of easily accessible, comprehensive information for all families that describes the characteristics and components of quality early childhood education programs, including after-school programs, and how to choose appropriate, quality programs for their children and the provision of information on financial assistance available to help families afford quality programs.
• Support access to programs, services, and supports for families and children that promote positive health, nutrition, economic independence and stability, and social competencies.

State role in early childhood

The state government also has an important role in early childhood education. Some of the state‘s role is to:

• Promote effective state-level administration for quality early childhood education and related services, equal opportunity, and adequate and equitable resources for each and every child;
• Administer, oversee and regularly monitor systems relating to the quality of early childhood programs and services;
• Establish requirements for credentials and professional licensure, including ongoing professional development;
• Establish goals, policies, budgets, and programs in early childhood education in consultation with early childhood experts, educators, providers, and local agencies responsible for early childhood education, business, and other interested citizens and to regularly review such goals, policies, budgets and programs;
• Coordinate programs and services both within and among state agencies and other early childhood related agencies;
• Undertake data collection, analysis, and evaluations of programs and services provided with state funds and disseminate the findings wisely.