National Organizations

The Administration for Children & Families (ACF) is a division of the Department of Health & Human Services. ACF promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals and communities. ACF programs aim to: empower families and individuals to increase their economic independence and productivity, encourage strong, healthy, supportive communities that have a positive impact on quality of life and the development of children, create partnerships with front-line service providers, states, localities and tribal communities to identify and implement solutions that transcend traditional program boundaries, improve access to services through planning, reform and integration, and address the needs, strengths and abilities of vulnerable populations including refugees and migrants.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 pediatricians committed to the optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.​ The mission of the American Academy of Pediatrics is to attain optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents and young adults. To accomplish this, AAP shall support the professional needs of its members.

The American Montessori Society is a hub for all things Montessori: an information center for its members, the media, and the public; a voice in the public policy arena; and a mobilizing force for the global Montessori community, through support services, research, and professional development events.

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is the national professional association established in 1917 to represent the interests and concerns of occupational therapy practitioners and students of occupational therapy and to improve the quality of occupational therapy services. AOTA’s major programs and activities are directed toward assuring the quality of occupational therapy services, improving consumer access to health care services, and promoting the professional development of members. AOTA educates the public and advances the profession by providing resources, setting standards, and serving as an advocate to improve health care.

The American Physical Therapy Association is an individual membership professional organization representing 100,000 member physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 218,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students.

The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5. CSEFEL is a national resource center funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau for disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country.

CDC works 24/7 to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same. CDC increases the health security of our nation. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. CDC conducts critical science and provides health information that protects the nation and responds to expensive and dangerous health threats.

The Council for Professional Recognition is a leader in the credentialing of early childhood educators worldwide. Candidates who earn the Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential are well prepared to foster the social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth of young children. Having a CDA® doesn’t just help educators bring out the best in children. It also advances their careers and contributes to the status of the profession.

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) promotes policies and advances evidence-based practices that support families and enhance the optimal development of young children (0-8) who have or are at risk for developmental delays and disabilities. DEC is an international membership organization for those who work with or on behalf of young children (0-8) with disabilities and other special needs and their families.

The ECTA Center supports state Part C and Section 619 programs in developing high-quality early intervention and preschool special education service systems, increasing local implementation of evidence-based practices, and enhancing outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families. ECTA is a national technical assistance center focused on building state and local system capacity to improve outcomes for children with disabilities and their families. ECTA Center is funded by a cooperative agreement with the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

Educare believes everyone deserves a fair chance to achieve their dreams, and it starts by leveling the playing field from the day we’re born. As one of the nation’s most effective early childhood schools, Educare ensures young children from under-resourced communities have the best possible chance for success in life.

HealthyChildren.org is the only parenting website backed by 67​,000 pediatricians committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. HealthyChildren.org provides general information related to child health or more specific guidance on parenting issues; information regarding the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) many programs and activities; and publications and other child health resources. The information comes from the nation’s leading child health experts; recommendations are supported by scientific research.

Nemours Children’s Health is committed to transforming the health of children by going beyond medicine to improve the health of the world in which every child lives. Founded by KidsHealth.org in 1995, Children’s Health aims to give families the tools and confidence to make the best health choices. KidsHealth.org provides doctor-reviewed advice on hundreds of physical, emotional, and behavioral topics — from before birth through the teen years; separate sections for parents, kids, and teens; easy-to-follow articles, slideshows, videos, and health tools designed to help families learn, grow, and be their best; and free lesson plans and programs for teachers and early childhood educators.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. NAEYC advances a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and supports all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children. The association comprises nearly 60,000 individual members of the early childhood community and 52 Affiliates, all committed to delivering on the promise of high-quality early learning. Together, they work to achieve a collective vision: that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential.

The National Head Start Association (NHSA) is a nonprofit organization committed to the belief that every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, has the ability to succeed in life. NHSA is the voice for more than 1 million children, 245,000 staff and 1,600 Head Start grantees in the United States. Since 1974, NHSA has worked diligently for policy changes that ensure all at-risk children have access to the Head Start model of support for the whole child, the family and the community. NHSA’s vision is to lead—to be the untiring voice that will not be quiet until every vulnerable child is served with the Head Start model of support for the whole child, the family and the community—and to advocate—to work diligently for policy and institutional changes that ensure all vulnerable children and families have what they need to succeed. NHSA’s mission is to coalesce, inspire, and support the Head Start field as a leader in early childhood development and education.

The North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA) exists to connect early childhood educators and advocates together in discovering, interpreting, and promoting Reggio Emilia inspired education. NAREA believes in the inherent abilities and basic rights of children and adults, particularly with regard to their competence and right to actively construct relations, knowledge, feelings, and identity. NAREA works to mobilize educators, parents and policymakers to play a collective role in moving the value of early childhood education to a position of priority. Through conferences, networking, and resource sharing, NAREA is advancing an inspiring and innovative movement that is giving more quality and excellence to education.

The Office of Child Care (OCC) supports low-income working families by providing access to affordable, high-quality early care and after school programs. OCC administers the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and works with state, territory and tribal governments to provide support for children and their families juggling work schedules and struggling to find child care programs that will fit their needs and that will prepare children to succeed in school.

The Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD) acts as a catalyst to create a collective impact and support the early learning and care of our nation’s children and their families. ECD strategies will include: communication (ECD consistently communicates, within the organization and across HHS, an established set of values and norms that promote the importance of early childhood development across programs), coordination and partnerships (ECD develops governance, structures and champions that enable coordination across ACF, HHS, and other federal agencies; and mobilizes a network of public and private partners to support early childhood development), sustainability (ECD aligns its initiatives across ACF to institutionalize and make the established values and norms sustainable), and resource sharing (ECD provides resources to states and communities to facilitate cross-service and cross-sector coordination).

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) authorizes formula grants to states and discretionary grants to institutions of higher education and other non-profit organizations to support research, demonstrations, technology and personnel development and parent-training and information centers.

OneOp (formerly Military Families Learning Network) supports DoD’s Military Family Readiness System by growing the professional knowledge, readiness, and networks of the service providers supporting our military service members and their families. Our free and open-access resources are created in collaboration with DoD and university subject matter experts and offer continuing education credits spanning a wide variety of subject areas and credentialing agencies.

This website, managed by the Educators Institute at Duke School in collaboration with Sylvia Chard, is dedicated to providing information about the Project Approach. It offers theory, structure, and examples of the Project Approach, as well as resources and tools that teachers and administrators can use, including: an overview of the theoretical framework and history; explanations of how to develop and implement project work; examples of projects conducted in classrooms worldwide; information about upcoming seminars, workshops, and other forms of professional development; a study guide that helps participants understand the definition and applications of the Project Approach and walks them through the process of developing and implementing a project in the classroom. 

The Pyramid Model is a positive behavioral intervention and support (PBIS) framework that uses systems-thinking and implementation science to promote evidence-based practices. The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children was created to help early educators build skills for supporting nurturing and responsive caregiving, create learning environments, provide targeted social-emotional skills, and support children with challenging behavior. The Pyramid Model provides local, national, and global early childhood programs with comprehensive training, proven methods, and free resources.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED)’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. ED was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. ED’s 4,400 employees and $68 billion budget are dedicated to: establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds, collecting data on America’s schools and disseminating research, focusing national attention on key educational issues, and prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.

Since 1977, ZERO TO THREE has advanced the proven power of nurturing relationships by transforming the science of early childhood into helpful resources, practical tools and responsive policies for millions of parents, professionals and policymakers. ZERO TO THREE plays a key role in ensuring that babies and toddlers get a strong start in life by supporting: parents with practical resources that help them connect more positively, deeply and continuously with their babies; professionals with knowledge and tools that help them support healthy early development; and policymakers in advancing comprehensive and coherent policies which support and strengthen families, caregivers…