Supporting the

Rights & Needs of Young Children

Defending the Early Years

DEY’s Mission

Our mission was to work for just, equitable, and quality early childhood education and care for every young child. We informed educators, administrators, and parents about how children develop and learn best. We advocated for active, playful, experiential
approaches to learning informed by child development theory and evidence-based research.

DEY’s Primary Goals

To advocate at the grassroots, local, state, regional, and federal levels for education policies based on child development theory and research.
To mobilize the early childhood community to speak up for age-appropriate standards, assessments, and classroom practices that are based on research.
To promote appropriate practices in early childhood classrooms and to support educators in counteracting policies and practices that undermine whole child health and optimal learning.

Defending the Early Years served as a national nonprofit advocacy organization working to ensure high-quality early childhood education for all children. Founded in 2012 by Nancy Carlson-Pagie, Diane Levin, and Ed Miller, DEY worked to resist the Common Core standards and other policies that pushed down academics and removed play from early childhood in classrooms.

In June of 2026, DEY announced it would cease operations after 14 years. In an effort to ensure its work endures, DEY has agreed to archive its website and make its resources available to others. Below are links to publications, podcasts, blogs, newsletters, and Summer Institute recordings.

We invite you to use any of these resources to support advocating for high-quality early childhood education for all children. We ask that you attribute Defending the Early Years to any resources you use. We also ask that you do not sell any of our materials or charge a fee for others to view them. We ask that our resources remain free and easily accessible to all who need them.

Thank you.