Policy Guidance
Policies that support or enforce social emotional recommended practices can help guide child care staff and administrators.
There are two policy best practices (per GO NAPSACC) and related resources in this section. The first policy recommendation focuses on the elimination of suspensions and expulsion/dismissal in ECE programs. The second policy recommendation suggests ways ECE programs can support social emotional development of children.
Best Practices
Select each GO NAPSACC best practice below to find related resources.
“There is a written policy that the program does not allow suspensions or expulsion/dismissal and that specifies strategies for managing and documenting challenging behaviors, including the use of outside resources and referrals.”
A Holistic Approach to Ending Exclusionary Discipline for Young Learners
Summary: 10-part framework provides guidance for addressing exclusionary discipline and offers actionable strategies to make meaningful progress in reducing both the rates of exclusionary discipline and the disparities associated with it. Key sections—such as “Develop Policy with Accountability Systems” (starting on page 7)—highlight best practices that can support effective policy implementation, including requirements for annual professional development and other accountability measures.
Source: The Children’s Equity Project, Arizona State University
Addressing Exclusionary Discipline Practices
Summary: Resource collection that provides links to information on prevention, policies, data tools, equity, and impact.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Behavior Interventions and Positive Behavior Support
Summary: Guides, tools, training materials, and more regarding appropriately addressing challenging behaviors in young children in partnership with families.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Caring for Our Children Basics
Summary: Outlines a set of voluntary, foundational health and safety standards for early care and education programs. Based on best practices, these standards are designed to help protect children and support their healthy development in child care settings.
Source: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, Administration for Children and Families
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the social emotional assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Implementing Policies to Reduce the Likelihood of Preschool Expulsion
Summary: Seven policy and practice recommendations for reducing preschool expulsions (starting page 7).
“There is a written policy on promoting children’s social emotional development, including behavior guidance, family engagement and reducing biases in ECE settings.”
A-to-Z’s of Early Childhood
Summary: Short videos, quick tips, and printable tip sheets on how to strengthen children’s development can be found under each letter of the alphabet. See “F” for Family-Professional Partnerships, “I” for Inclusion, and “J” for Justice.
Source: University of Florida Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies
Anti-Bias Resources
Summary: Information on culturally responsive strategies, anti-bias practice, and equity in early childhood caregiving.
Source: National Association for the Education of Young Children
Behavior Interventions and Positive Behavior Support
Summary: Guides, tools, training materials, and more regarding appropriately addressing challenging behaviors in young children in partnership with families.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Caring for Our Children Basics
Summary: Outlines a set of voluntary, foundational health and safety standards for early care and education programs. Based on best practices, these standards are designed to help protect children and support their healthy development in child care settings.
Source: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, Administration for Children and Families
Five Anti-Bias Education Strategies for Early Childhood Classrooms
Summary: Strategies that include incorporating activities that share and celebrate differences, using diverse books and stories, preventing and addressing microaggressions, exploring real-life stories about social justice, and providing children with opportunities to discuss bias.
Source: Public Broadcasting System Southern California
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the social emotional assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Policy Statement on Family Engagement from the Early Years to the Early Grades
Summary: Outlines challenges and opportunities for increasing meaningful family engagement. In particular, see principles of effective family engagement (p. 8-9) and recommendations for implementing practices (p. 9-18), which include policy ideas and practical ways those policies can make a difference.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services, US Department of Education
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