A Message from AECA President, Julie Yarberry – January, 1st 2026

Hello!  I’m Julie Yarberry and I am honored to greet you today as the incoming president of the Arkansas Early Childhood Association. It is a privilege to stand alongside such dedicated professionals who share a common passion for early childhood education. As I step into this role, I want to pause and recognize the remarkable leadership of our past president, Natasha Kile. Natasha has guided this organization with vision, strength, and compassion. Her commitment to our mission and her tireless advocacy for children and educators has left a lasting impact and has guided her into her next role as our Public Policy Committee Chairperson. I am humbled to follow in her footsteps, and I know we will continue to build on the strong foundation she has laid.

Like many of you, I’ve worn many hats in Early Childhood Education.  I started my career over 30 years ago as a preschool teacher, shifted to a family childcare home when my children were young, and later became a director.  I’m currently the coaching coordinator with A-State CHS and work on the TEACH apprenticeship team as the mentor coordinator. I live in North Little Rock with my husband, Rich, and we have four adult children and four amazing grandchildren.

This year, our theme will continue to pull on the thread of the work that connects us: ‘Uniting Our Passion: Lifting Our Voices.’ Together, we will focus on advocacy—using our voices for play, for our workforce, and for legislation benefiting children and families. Because when we unite our passion, our voices become stronger, and our impact becomes greater.

Our mission is clear: to deepen knowledge and understanding of young children, to contribute to professional growth through conferences and learning opportunities, to encourage access to education, resources, and services, to improve the standards of early care, and to provide unwavering support for our members. This mission guides us, and this year, it will inspire us to raise our voices even higher.

As we move forward, I invite each of you to be part of this collective effort. Whether you are advocating for play in the classroom, for policies that strengthen our workforce, or for legislation that protects children and families, your voice matters. Together, we can shape a future where every child is valued, every educator is supported, and every Arkansas community thrives. I challenge you to connect with your local affiliate by visiting our affiliates page on our website.

I am excited for the year ahead and grateful to serve alongside you. Let’s unite our passion, lift our voices, and make a difference—for children, for families, and for the future of early childhood education. I look forward to connecting with you soon!  Happy New Year!