Family practices in educator licensure: a content analysis of U.S. state requirements

Families are critical to children's learning and play a vital role on their children's team. As such, preparation standards across the Division for Early Childhood, National Association for the Education of Young Children, and other key entities include family practices as part of their recommendations. This content analysis examined how states included family practices into initial licensure requirements of early childhood (ECE) and early childhood special educators (ECSE). Documents were collected electronically from state departments of education across the U.S. in 2021. This analysis determined if states required family-related practices, what was required, and what terminology and concepts were included in family-related requirements. Overall, 55% of states included family practices for ECSE while 45% of states included them for ECE. Increasing the inclusion of family practices in initial licensure requirements and building relationships across state licensing agencies and institutions of higher education may better prepare educators to partner with families.