Earlier this year, DCAEYC stood alongside early childhood education professionals, families, partners, and advocates throughout the FY27 budget process, working to protect critical investments in DC’s early childhood education system. This month, that work brought us back to the John A. Wilson Building. Represented by our Executive Director, Berna Artis, DCAEYC joined parents, partners, and advocates for DC Action’s Revenue Lobby Day (on September 23rd), continuing conversati

The public comment period for proposed changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards remains open through October 6, 2026. The proposal, known as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or NPRM, would make significant changes to the federal standards that guide Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The proposal is not a final rule. As the deadline approaches, DCAEYC is sharing resources from NAEYC, Start Early, and other partners to help Washington, DC's early childhoo

Head Start reaches far beyond what happens in a classroom. Its federal standards help shape the health, developmental, educational, and family supports available to children and families across the country, creating a framework that connects early learning with services designed to respond to the broader needs of children and their families. That framework is now under review. On August 7, 2026, the Administration for Children and Families released a Notice of Proposed Rulema

DCAEYC members have the opportunity to be considered for scholarships to attend the 2026 NAEYC Annual Conference, one of the largest national gatherings for early childhood education professionals. This year, two DCAEYC members will be selected to receive scholarships to attend the conference. The NAEYC Annual Conference brings together early childhood education professionals, leaders, researchers, advocates, and organizations from across the country for professional learning

On September 10, DCAEYC members came together for a conversation that placed an important question at the center of early childhood education: What changes when we focus not only on a child’s behavior, but also on the knowledge, skills, and support available to the adults in the room? Hosted in partnership with Georgetown University’s Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities, the virtual session, Why the Child Is Not the Problem: Building Adult Capacity to Respon