My dear colleagues and friends,
I’m not going to pretend that these aren’t uncertain times. I’m not going to stand here and tell you that everything is fine when I know many of you are worried – worried about funding and whether the support systems we’ve built together will remain. I know you’re exhausted. I know some of you are wondering if you can keep doing this work under the weight of so much uncertainty.
But I’m here to tell you something important: This is exactly when our work matters most.
When the world is unstable, when families are anxious, when everything is shifting beneath our feet – children still need us. In fact, they need us more. Because while adults are reading the news and thinking about tomorrow, children are living in this moment, looking into our eyes, searching for the answer to their important questions:
And every single day, you answer them with a resounding YES!
You are their anchor. You are the steady hands, the calm voices, their safe harbor. When everything else feels chaotic, your classroom is a place where routines are predictable, where love is abundant, where a child knows exactly what to expect. Your stability doesn’t just comfort children – it literally shapes their developing stress response systems.
I want you to hear this: What you do is not dependent on political whims or policy changes.
The relationship you build with a three-year-old who needs help putting on their shoes – that’s eternal. The patience you show a child who’s having a hard day – that’s sacred. The partnership you forge with a worried parent – that’s transformative. No budget cut can erase the impact of a teacher who truly sees a child. No change in regulations can diminish the power of your presence.
Yes, we will advocate. Yes, we will fight for fair wages, for adequate funding, for the resources you deserve. The Arkansas Early Childhood Association will not stop pushing for policies that honor and acknowledge the significance of this profession. Together, we will make our voices heard. But while we’re advocating for tomorrow, we cannot forget the children who need us today.
History shows us the helpers, the teachers, the caregivers are the ones who hold society together when times are tough. During every challenging period our nation has faced, it has been people like you who have kept showing up, kept loving, kept teaching. You are part of a long legacy of educators who chose hope over fear, action over paralysis, love over uncertainty.
So, here’s what I’m asking you to do: Remember your why. Remember the light in a child’s eyes when they master something new. Remember the hug that lasts just a little longer because a child needed it. Remember you chose a profession that requires your heart, your mind, and your soul – and you show up anyway.
On the hard days, remember this: Somewhere in Arkansas, there’s a child who rushes to your classroom every morning because you are their favorite person. There’s a parent who breathes easier knowing their child is with you. There’s a future teacher, doctor, artist, or leader who will trace their success back to the foundation you’re building right now.
We don’t do this work because it’s easy. We do it because it’s essential.
And nothing – not uncertainty, not change – can take away the truth that early childhood educators are among the most important people in our society.
Every day you show up is a better day for kids. So please keep showing up. You are seen. You are valued. You are not alone. And Arkansas’ children are blessed beyond measure to have you.
Take care,
Natasha Kile
President of AECA
Connect with me at president@arkansasearlychildhood.org
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