Early Childhood Professional Organizations
Why join a professional Organization?
Professional organizations are designed to help members grow professionally while staying current on trends/issues in the field. Professional organizations often provide access to literature and discounts on products and conference registrations.
Below are just a few of the early childhood professional organizations available to you.
Statewide
Tennessee Association for Children's Early Education (TACEE)
TACEE exists to provide members with professional development opportunities and to advocate for best practice in the care, development, and education of all Tennessee’s young children (TACEE, 2023).
Association for Infant Mental Health in Tennessee (AIMHiTN)
AIMHiTN supports professionals through training, resources, and advocacy to foster the early relational health of infants, young children, and families (AIMHiTN, 2023)
Regional
Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA)
SECA is committed to improving the quality of care and education for young children with their families through advocacy and professional development (SECA, 2023).
National
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
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. We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support 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, we work to achieve a collective vision: that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential (NAEYC, 2023).
National AfterSchool Association (NAA)
NAA is the membership association for professionals who work with children and youth in diverse school and community-based settings to provide a wide variety of extended learning opportunities and care during out-of-school hours.
National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to promoting high quality child care by strengthening the profession of family child care for nearly one million paid home-based early learning programs serving almost 40% of the 6.7 million children who receive care from a nonrelative on a regular basis.
