The Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children is a nonprofit organization with more than 1,000 members throughout the state of Iowa. As a state affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), we support efforts to improve the early care and education profession. This includes improving teaching and learning practices, promoting leadership and professional development in our profession, supporting accreditation and excellence in early childhood education programs, and building public awareness through advocacy and outreach. Membership is open to all individuals who share a desire to serve and act on behalf of the needs and rights of all young children.
In addition to our partnership with NAEYC, Iowa AEYC houses three major programs that assist and support early childhood educators: T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Iowa, Child Care WAGE$® Iowa, and ECQuIP. T.E.A.C.H. is a program that awards scholarships to early care and education professionals who are pursuing higher education in early childhood education. Similarly, WAGE$ is a salary supplement program that rewards early care and education professionals for previously-attained higher education credits. Finally, ECQuIP supports early care and education programs serving a large percentage of low income families programs in Polk, Warren, and Dallas counties. ECQuIP helps these programs achieve a level of quality that supports the development of all children and puts them on track with their peers when entering kindergarten.
We are also excited to announce that we are piloting a CDA® Navigator program. CDA® Navigators will work side-by-side with CDA Candidates to support and facilitate the CDA process. They will also build partnerships with community colleges and other training entities that are providing education and training for the early childhood workforce.
As a 501(c)(3) organization, we believe it is important to be upfront with our financial status. For more information about our finances, visit our Financials page.
