Early Childhood Resources

Career Development Service Center, CUNY Professional Development Institute

Center on the Developing Child

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, founded in 2006, views healthy child development as the foundation of economic prosperity, strong communities, and a just society. Their mission is to advance that vision by using science to enhance child well-being through innovations in policy and practice.

Council for Professional Recognition

The Council for Professional Recognition promotes improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children aged birth to 5 years old. The Council works to ensure that all professional early childhood educators and caregivers meet the developmental, emotional, and educational needs of our nation’s youngest children. The Council recognizes and credentials professionals who work in all types of early care and education programs: Head Start, Pre-K, infant-toddler, family childcare, and home visitor programs.

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center

Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages birth to five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families, which include health, nutrition, social, and other services determined to be necessary by family needs assessments, in addition to education and cognitive development services.

National Association for the Education of Young Children

NAEYC is the leading membership association for those working with and on behalf of children from birth through age 8. NAEYC convenes leaders, teachers, practitioners, and researchers and sets standards of excellence for programs and teachers in early childhood education. NAEYC members include teachers, assistant teachers, center directors, trainers, college educators, families of young children, and the public at large.

North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA)

The North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA) is a network of educators, parents, and advocates seeking to elevate both the quality of life and the quality of schools and centers for young children. The mission is to build a diverse community of advocates and educators to promote and defend the rights of children, families, and educators of all cultures through a collaboration of colleagues inspired by the philosophies of the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Program for Infant Toddler Care (PITC)

The Program for Infant Toddler Care seeks to ensure that America's infants get a safe, healthy, emotionally secure and intellectually rich start in life. Its mission is to increase the availability and quality of childcare for all children under age three, as well as disseminate information that increases the practice of responsive, respectful and relationship based infant toddler care.

Quality Stars NY

New York State is currently developing QUALITYStarsNY to support the efforts of early care and learning programs to improve the quality of their services and to give parents the information they need to make a more informed choice. QUALITYStarsNY is a voluntary quality rating and improvement system that is designed to increase quality in early learning settings - centers, schools, and homes - throughout the state.

Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE)

RIE teaches an integrated model for the care and education of infants and the very young using Magda Gerber’s respectful approach. Through the RIE approach, which honors infants and young children as equal members in relationships, RIE is dedicated to creating a culture of people who are authentic, resourceful and respectful. The work is inspired by the natural integrity of infants and the formative power of relationships in their lives.

Zero To Three

Zero to Three is a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. The mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers and their families.