Ethics and the Early Childhood Educator: Using the NAEYC Code

Doing what’s right for children, families, colleagues, and the community

Do you need support and guidance to help you navigate tough ethical issues in your work? The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct is every early childhood educator’s foundation for moral practice, and this third edition of Ethics and the Early Childhood Educator shows you how to use the Code to guide your actions and responses to challenging situations in the workplace.

Here, you’ll find real cases from early childhood programs that illustrate the process of identifying and addressing ethical issues by applying the NAEYC Code. Reflection questions encourage you to think deeply about how your own experiences relate to the examples. Ethical conduct is critical, and the Code and this book are resources you can turn to again and again as you seek to make the right decisions for young children and their families.

Stephanie Feeney, PhD, is professor emerita of education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Stephanie has written extensively about professionalism and ethics and has been deeply involved in developing the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, revising the Code, and developing the supplements for adult educators and program administrators. She is coauthor of Ethics and the Early Childhood Educator and Teaching the Code of Ethical Conduct: A Resource Guide.

Nancy K. Freeman, PhD, is professor emerita of early childhood education at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia. She has served as president of the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) and was on its board for many years. Nancy has written extensively on professional ethics and has been involved in the NAEYC Code’s revisions and the development of its supplements. Nancy is coauthor of Ethics and the Early Childhood Educator and of Teaching the Code of Ethical Conduct: A Resource Guide.