Professional Organizations for Childcare Providers
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Childcare providers and early childhood educators fill a vital role in society, aiding parents in developing and educating future generations. Despite this, they are often underpaid and undervalued by society. The following organizations provide resources and advocacy for childcare providers and the valuable work they do.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a powerhouse organization. I first learned about NAEYC when I began reaching out to childcare centers in my role as a pediatric physical therapist. One of the many services that NAEYC provides is to establish guidelines for quality care, offering a stringent accreditation process for childcare centers and providers. But there are so many other resources provided by this organization that I couldn’t possibly name them all here. For childcare providers they offer training, advocacy, job-seeking resources, and information about professional development. They also host an annual conference and professional learning institutes. For parents, they offer a wealth of information including research articles, tips, and a blog (also directed at providers).
Membership cost: ranges from $30 to $150 annually
Benefits: publications (digital and print), reductions in event and conference fees, reduced insurance rates (professional liability, home and auto)
Photo by Nikola Jovanovic on Unsplash
National Association for Family Child Care
The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) is a professional organization and advocacy group for home-based childcare providers. As with NAEYC, NAFCC provides resources for accreditation of home daycares, offers educational resources for providers and childcare clients, and hosts conferences. Additionally, they advocate on a national level for families and childcare providers. Their current advocacy agenda includes improving the scope of Head Start eligibility, improving subsidies for families and increasing family choice, and increasing health and wellness resources for childcare providers, families, and children.
Membership cost: ranges from $45 annually to $299 (lifetime)
Benefits: (depends on level of membership) reduced insurance rates (AFLAC), reduced tuition, digital and print resources, conference discounts, reduced accreditation fees, and reduced-cost software for childcare center management.
Photo by Nery Montenegro on Unsplash
National Domestic Workers Alliance
The National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) is an organization promoting the rights of domestic workers, including caregivers, nannies and house cleaners. The organization is the brainchild of Ai-jen Poo, an inspiring social change-maker who I first heard speak on this podcast. As she rightly points out, many of these professionals are invisible and vulnerable due to the private nature of their workplaces. NDWA is currently promoting a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights which includes initiatives for fair pay and improved protections against harassment and exploitation.
Membership cost: from $5/month
Benefits: social networking (text, email, social media), conferences, advocacy, ticket discounts, reduced life, dental, and vision insurance, prescription discounts, trainings
Do you know of an organization advocating for childcare providers? Please share it in the comments section below.
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