Membership
How to Become a Member
Become a member of the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children today! Membership with Iowa AEYC automatically makes you a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which is the world’s largest early childhood organization.
Please note: as of March 3, 2025, our membership structure has changed. Click here for more details.
Benefits of Being a Member
All Iowa AEYC members receive the following benefits that align with NAEYC’s CARES model:
C: Community
Connect with hundreds of early care and education professionals through our online and in-person meetings, trainings, and conferences. We also have plenty of opportunities to volunteer and build leadership skills within the field. Get involved with:
- Interest groups – also known as Professional Engagement Groups
- Networking opportunities
- Family child care network
- Award nominations for exceptional professionals in the early learning field
- And more!
A: Advocacy
Make your voice heard so that local, state, and federal legislators know just how critical the work of the early learning field is. You’ll have opportunities to engage with:
- Advocacy-specific professional development
- NAEYC’s Public Policy Forum
- Community advocacy events, such as Week of the Young Child and Day Without Child Care
R: Resources
Access the latest updates, toolkits, events, and professional development opportunities going on in the early care and education profession, such as:
- Our bi-monthly newsletter
- Post your jobs to our job board
- Toolkits to participate in events like Week of the Young Child and Day Without Child Care
- Resources regularly posted to our social media accounts
E: Events
Participate in insightful professional development conferences, trainings, and meetings with highly respected industry leaders. Learn valuable skills to increase your positive impact on young children, and receive significant discounts to events like:
- Our annual in-person Spring and Fall Institutes
- Interest-based Professional Engagement Group meetings and trainings, both online and in-person
- NAEYC’s Annual Conference
- Week of the Young Child grants
- Member meetings
S: Supports
Advance your career with annual professional development and volunteer opportunities, with a supportive community dedicated to your success.
Current membership categories & annual dues
Iowa AEYC & NAEYC Membership is Evolving!
Iowa AEYC is proud to continue partnering with NAEYC to elevate your voice in shaping the future of early childhood education.
Starting on March 3, 2025, NAEYC is introducing a new single-tier membership at $72 annually, ensuring all early childhood professionals receive the same high-quality benefits. This change, informed by feedback from members like you, creating a more inclusive and accessible experience.
With this transition comes a new and improved member portal, making it easier than ever to download your membership card, renew, shop for books and materials, access professional development tools, retrieve invoices, and more—all in one place. Plus, you can explore the new digital welcome basket full of exclusive, valuable resources!
We’re also looking forward to NAEYC’s April launch of Educating Young Children, the new member-only digital magazine designed to inspire and support your work with the latest insights in early childhood education.
The new CARES membership benefits—Community, Advocacy, Resources, Events, and Support—highlight NAEYC’s commitment to meaningful connections, research-driven tools, and unparalleled support. Now is the perfect time to explore all your membership has to offer!
Learn more at naeyc.org/cares2025. Have questions? Please contact the NAEYC Customer Care Team at 800-424-2460 or info@naeyc.org.
