The Name of Our Profession is...

01/28/2008

The Name of Our Profession is...

We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

When Exchange magazine was launched 30 years ago, programs serving young children were either called day care centers (full day) or nursery schools (part day). Over the years as early childhood professionals recognized that all services for preschool children provide a combination of caring, education, and development, the names of programs, and the names people applied to our profession, started to evolve. Phrases like child care, child development, early childhood services, and early learning started to be used.

But three decades of changes have not moved our profession closer to agreeing on our name. So today we are launching with our Exchange Insta-Poll an initiative to move toward nomenclature consensus. We invite you to tell us what you believe the proper name for our profession should be in today's Exchange Insta-Poll.

GOOGLE HIRING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS: Google has expanded its employee child development program by opening a world-class children's center in Mountain View, Calif. and is now hiring teachers.

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