Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children

What Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children does

Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children (Iowa AEYC) is a nonprofit professional association and the Iowa state affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Founded and headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, the organization serves early childhood educators, child care programs, and family support professionals working with children from birth through age 8. Iowa AEYC delivers three interlocking core programs: TEACH (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps), which provides scholarships covering tuition, books, release time, and travel for educators pursuing degrees in early childhood education; WAGE$ (Child Care WAGE$ Iowa), which issues salary supplements of $550 to $11,500 annually based on education level and IQ4K program quality rating; and CDA (Child Development Associate) Credential navigation, supported by free one-on-one CDA Navigator counselors. Underlying these programs is the i-PoWeR (Iowa Professional Workforce Registry), an online training registry that tracks HHS-approved professional development completion across Iowa.

Name

Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children

Legal name

Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children

Website

https://iowaaeyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Iowa AEYC is a nonprofit professional association and NAEYC state affiliate that serves Iowa early childhood educators through TEACH scholarships, WAGE$ salary supplements, CDA Credential navigation, training events, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDACAIAB

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Teacher Training & Professional Development

SECONDARYEDACAIAD

ECE Leadership & Administration Training (Directors/Owners/Supervisors)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Teacher Training & Professional Development

SECONDARYEDACAKAG

Child-to-Staff Ratio & Staffing Compliance Monitoring

Education/Early Childhood Education/ECE Licensing, Compliance & Quality Rating Services

SECONDARYEDACAJAN

Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping Resources (State/NAEYC/Head Start)

Education/Early Childhood Education/ECE Curriculum, Assessment & Learning Materials

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Professional development training
• Child care workforce
• Education scholarship programs
• Salary supplement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

West Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from Iowa Department of Health and Human Services through federal Child Care Development Fund and MIECHV funds, Early Childhood Iowa Professional Development funds, and Iowa Department of Public Health
2. Membership Dues: Single-tier membership at $72 annually that includes Iowa AEYC and NAEYC membership with CARES benefits (Community, Advocacy, Resources, Events, Supports)
3. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from Spring Institute and Fall Institute conferences with tiered pricing for members ($99-$210) and non-members ($171-$282)
4. Employer Co-Sponsorship: Sponsoring programs contribute 20% of tuition and book costs for TEACH scholarship recipients

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Iowa AEYC delivers a coordinated suite of early childhood workforce programs in Iowa, anchored by TEACH (scholarship support for educators pursuing degrees), WAGE$ (education-based salary supplements), CDA Credential navigation, and the ECQuIP quality improvement initiative. The association also operates statewide Professional Engagement Groups, the Adult Educator approval program, annual Spring and Fall Institutes, advocacy before the Iowa legislature, and a single-tier $72/year membership bundled with NAEYC benefits.

Product overview

Iowa AEYC operates as a multi-program professional association rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings consist of three interconnected programs: TEACH (scholarship support for early childhood professionals pursuing degrees), WAGE$ (salary supplements based on education level), and CDA Credential support (nationally recognized credential navigation). These programs work in concert to support education, compensation, and retention of early childhood educators. Additional offerings include Quality Improvement Initiatives (ECQuIP), Professional Engagement Groups (PEGs), the Ambassador Program, Adult Educator approval, and signature events including the Early Learning Fall Institute and Spring Institute. The organization also runs advocacy initiatives, the Week of the Young Child celebration, and membership program with CARES benefits. An i-PoWeR training registry platform supports professional development tracking across the state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TEACH (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps)
• WAGE$ (Child Care WAGE$ Iowa)
• CDA Credential (Child Development Associate) Support
• PAEYS (Performance And Education Yield Success)
• Quality Improvement Initiatives (ECQuIP)
• Iowa AEYC / NAEYC Membership
• Professional Engagement Groups (PEGs)
• Adult Educator Approval Program
• Early Learning Fall Institute
• Spring Institute
• Week of the Young Child
• NAEYC Annual Conference Scholarship
• i-PoWeR Training Registry
• Ambassador Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% turnover rate vs higher field average - $2,000 cost savings per teacher retained
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIowa AEYC is the state affiliate of NAEYC, the world's largest early childhood organization with nearly 60,000 members and 50+ regional affiliates. NAEYC provides the framework for membership benefits (CARES model), annual conferences, Week of the Young Child trademark, and professional standards.
• Iowa Department of Health and Human ServicescoreOthersPrimary funder through federal Child Care Development Fund and MIECHV funds. Designates Iowa AEYC as an approved training organization and regulates child care programs. HHS provides funding for TEACH and WAGE$ programs.
• Early YearscoreOthersNational organization that licenses TEACH Early Childhood® and Child Care WAGE$® programs to state affiliates like Iowa AEYC. Provides program framework, oversight, and brand licensing.
• Early Childhood IowacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide partnership providing Early Childhood Iowa Professional Development funds that support TEACH scholarship recipients.
• Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide network providing referrals, resources, and support for child care providers. Partners on IQ4K quality rating system implementation.
• Iowa Department of EducationminorOthersState agency partner providing resources and aligning with early learning standards for children birth through grade 12.
• Iowa Head Start AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState association representing Head Start programs. WAGE$ eligibility includes Head Start program participation.
• Iowa State University ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and extension partner; I2D2 (Iowa Child Care Workforce Research) housed at ISU conducted 2023 Iowa Child Care Workforce Study.
• Iowa CCR&R of NW Iowa (Mid-Sioux Opportunity, Inc.)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional CCR&R office serving northwest Iowa, hiring Child Care Consultants as part of the provider network.
• Northwestern CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Fall Institute - offering graduate credit and license renewal credit for licensed teachers attending the institute.
• United Way of Central IowaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner supporting early childhood initiatives in central Iowa.
• Iowa Women's FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partner supporting early childhood workforce initiatives.
• Iowa First Children's FinanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial partner supporting early childhood program sustainability and business development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Zero to Three: National nonprofit focused on early childhood birth-to-three development, training, and policy. Adjacent in mission and audience to Iowa AEYC's birth-through-age-8 focus.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): National umbrella organization of which Iowa AEYC is a state affiliate. Operates the same mission across 50+ state affiliates, governs the CARES benefits framework, and runs the national Week of the Young Child and annual conference.
• Child Care Aware of America: National nonprofit working on child care access and workforce issues; operates CCR&R networks that overlap with Iowa AEYC's provider audience and partners with state-level ECE workforce initiatives.

Direct peers

• Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children (MnAEYC): NAEYC state affiliate serving Minnesota early childhood professionals with comparable professional development, advocacy, and member services. Operates regional engagement models similar to Iowa AEYC's Professional Engagement Groups.
• Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children: Direct peer as another NAEYC state affiliate operating TEACH, WAGE$, and CDA programs in Illinois. Comparable integrated scholarship + salary supplement + credential model with field-counselor delivery.
• Wisconsin Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC): Adjacent-state NAEYC affiliate delivering membership, TEACH-style scholarship navigation, and professional development to Wisconsin's early childhood workforce. Closely comparable structure to Iowa AEYC.
• Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children (NebAEYC): Regional NAEYC state affiliate serving Nebraska ECE professionals with membership, advocacy, and professional development programming parallel to Iowa AEYC.

Emerging players

• Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R): Statewide network partnering with Iowa AEYC on IQ4K quality rating implementation and provider referrals. Overlapping audience of child care providers and family support professionals with partially overlapping services.

Others

• Early Years (TEACH/WAGE$ Licensor): National organization that licenses the TEACH and WAGE$ program frameworks to state affiliates including Iowa AEYC. Defines the program structure and brand standards underpinning Iowa AEYC's two largest programs.
• Council for Professional Recognition: Issuer of the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential that Iowa AEYC navigators help candidates earn. Direct upstream/downstream relationship on CDA delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/270170937216
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iowa-association-for-the-education-of-young-children

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children