Report Shows Pressing Need for Early Childhood Sector to Adopt Whole Leadership

PRESS RELEASE

WHEELING, Ill. – While the child care crisis in the United States continues to grow, researchers specializing in early childhood have published data that highlights one of the problems the sector faces: A lack of consistent policies and supports for improving the qualifications and competencies of those who lead early childhood programs.

The research conducted by the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University shows the following important findings:

  • There are 14 times more degree programs to prepare principals than those to prepare center- or home-based administrators.
  • Only Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington, DC require an associate degree (or higher) of directors in child care licensing regulations.
  • Only 9 out of 40 state administrator credentials require a minimum of an associate degree.

Researchers collected data from hundreds of sources, generating profiles that rate the states and nation on a scale of 1-10 based on statistics they found related to early childhood administrators (site-based directors, family child care providers, and school principals) and their qualifications (education, specialized knowledge, professional development, and experience). No state scored above a 6.

Closing the Leadership Gap: 2018 Status Report on Early Childhood Program Leadership in the United States provides an update to the 2017 published statistics. No significant changes were found between the 2017 and 2018 policy lever data. This highlights the necessity to address the leadership gap in the United States. The findings suggest a continued pressing need for a unifying foundation of administrative qualifications and competencies reflecting a Whole Leadership approach. All early childhood program administrators need competency in both administrative and pedagogical leadership. However, the need for Whole Leadership is most critical in the child care sector which suffers from high levels of teacher turnover, an epidemic of program closures, and an increasing number of child care deserts.

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Let’s Talk About Bullying

By Sherry Rocha • June 12, 2025
Bullying has been around for ages. That doesn’t mean it’s ok, or we should get used to it. It is a persistent problem for all ages, and now it’s reaching into our early childhood programs. What can program administrators do? Some definitions and tips are below. WHAT IS BULLYING? Bullying has been described as a student’s repeated exposure to negative actions on the part of one or more students in which there is an imbalance of power between bullies and the victim. Some children learn that by bullying others, they can get ahead. It can affect the goals of education if not handled well. While the behaviors of young children can sometimes be aggressive, they lack the more strategic and deliberate actions that typically define bullying. Still, early behaviors can be precursors to later behavior, so awareness and positive interventions are needed . Bullying prevention can be embedded into SEL practices, diversity awareness, and behavior guidance practices of early childhood programs. HOW COMMON IS BULLYING? Most studies look at bullying as something that involves older children. Research on early childhood bullying is still developing. The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) is considered one of the most effective school-based anti-bullying programs that schools and centers study. Its founder, Dan Olweus, Ph.D, found that 35-40% of boys characterized as bullies in grades 6-9 had been convicted of at least three officially registered crimes by the age of 24. Bullies sometimes teach their children to be bullies. PREVENTION AND GUIDANCE CONCERNING BULLYING There are things parents, teachers, and friends can do to prevent or stop bullying . During the early childhood years, programs to help prevent bullying are helpful. Teachers and parents should be role models of caring behavior. Children raised in safe and nurturing environments will learn to be caring individuals. As children’s abilities develop, they can learn anger management, problem-solving skills, and decision-making skills. TEACHERS AND PARENTS CAN ALSO: Dispel myths that bullying is part of childhood. Encourage a positive environment by stating desirable behavior instead of negative behavior. Emphasize respect, fairness, caring, and responsibility in classrooms. Incorporate lessons about appropriate social skills in classrooms and everywhere; provide words for children to use. Understand the seriousness of bullying. Encourage children to consider the needs of others. Parents can arrange play groups for their children. A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM SHOULD: Promote a caring, respectful environment Help victims help themselves Challenge the bullies’ thinking Consider the effects of peer pressure Elicit students’ input FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA). (2025, February 5). Get help now. StopBullying.gov. https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/get-help-now The Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life. (n.d.). Olweus bullying prevention program, Clemson University. Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, Clemson University. https://clemsonolweus.org/ Temkin, D., & Snow, K. (2015, August 18). To prevent bullying, focus on early childhood. NAEYC. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/prevent-bullying-focus-early-childhood
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