This code of ethical conduct is important to help early childhood professionals because it concisely expresses what many early childhood professionals already know. An example of this is the code's principle 1.1. It is common sense that early childhood professionals should not physically harm a child, but many people may not think about their interactions with young children that could be defined as disrespectful or degrading in regards to small children. This code forces early childhood professionals to think about what actions might be defined as "exploitative" or "intimidating" and how to avoid them.
The code of ethical conduct is also important because it reminds us as early childhood professionals that even though we may have the professional degree, the parent is still in charge and should have a major part in the decisions involving their child's education. It reminds us that it is our responsibility to involve the child's family in their education, and to respect the wishes of the parents in regards to childrearing values.
A code of ethical conduct is also important to unify early childhood professionals under one set of guidelines. It also protects the rights of children, families, colleagues, and community and society involved in the process of development during the important part of life called early childhood. As an early childhood professional, my code of ethics will be very similar to that of the NAEYC. I believe that above all the rights of the children are the most important. The rights of the family, other colleagues, and the community are almost as important but are secondary to those of the children. My code of ethics will also include the appreciation of early childhood as an important part of human development, helping children make the most of their talents and abilities, and supporting the individual family values through education.