Current TACTYC Executive Committee

TACTYC was founded in 1978 by a group of early years teacher trainers who recognised how isolated they were feeling in their work and how supportive and developmental it could be to come together with others in a similar position on a regular basis. Today, TACTYC has broadened its base to welcome people from a wide range of early years' backgrounds; early years researchers, education consultants and professionals working with children and families in day-care, education, health, play work and social service contexts. TACTYC also warmly welcomes students from across these areas.

One key theme that unifies the work of all these professionals is upholding the right of every child to receive a high quality educational experience. At TACTYC, we would maintain that a high quality educational experience depends on well-trained practitioners who themselves engage in on-going professional development throughout their working lives. Providing high quality educational experiences for young children can be regarded as a lifetime's work. Learning is a complex business and young learners deserve the best society can offer.

With the enormous developments and changes in early years provision since 1978, training and development issues for early childhood educators are even more complex and challenging. All practitioners have seen a great expansion in the numbers of initiatives and directives affecting early years, not only in the UK but internationally. It is even more important that we become a voice for all early years professionals and the young children in our care. This is where TACTYC can help you to get connected.

We aim to ensure early childhood educators are informed about the implications of complex and challenging changes in the sector, encourage debate and ensure our members' views are represented at the highest levels.

TACTYC aims to promote the highest quality professional development for all UK early years educators in order to enhance the educational well-being of youngest children.

Our activities include:

• advocacy and lobbying - providing a voice for all those engaged with the professional development of practitioners through responding to early years policy initiatives and contributing to the debate on the education and training of the UK early years workforce;
• informing – developing the knowledge-base of all those concerned with early years education and care by disseminating research findings through our international Early Years Journal, annual conference, website and occasional publications;
• supporting - encouraging informed and constructive discussion and debate and supporting practitioner reflection, the use of evidence-based practice and practitioner-research through, for example, our Newsletter and Website.

If, like us, you think the professional development of early years educators is crucially important to young children's lives and life chances, then join us today!