The Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children serves, supports, and advocates for all who care for and educate young children.
The following are some of our key policy priorities in Virginia:
Unified Virginia Quality Birth to Five System (VQB5): VAAEYC endorses Virginia’s Quality Measurement and Improvement System to measure and help improve the quality of all publicly-funded birth-to-five classrooms and support families to choose quality programming across program types.
Access and Equity: Ensuring equitable access to early childhood education is a top priority. VAAEYC works to address disparities in access to high-quality programs, particularly for children from low-income families and under served communities.
Increased Funding for Early Childhood Programs: VAAEYC advocates for increased state and federal funding to ensure that all children have access to high-quality early learning environments. This includes support for preschool programs, childcare centers, and family childcare providers.
Professional Development for Educators: VAAEYC believes that well-trained educators are the cornerstone of effective early childhood education. Our efforts include promoting policies that provide ongoing professional development opportunities for early childhood educators, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge to support children’s development.