Global Resources » Global Guidelines

Global Guidelines

Global Guidelines for Early Childhood Education and Care in the 21st Century

ACEI is committed to providing resources that enhance childhood education programs throughout the world. The ACEI Global Guidelines to present standards for ensuring that young children receive an appropriate, quality education in a variety of settings.

The Global Guidelines were developed as a collaborative project between the U.S. National Committee of the World Organization for Early Childhood (OMEP) and ACEI. In 1999, an International Symposium co-sponsored by OMEP and ACEI was held in Ruschilikon, Switzerland. The result of the symposium was a set of Global Guidelines that addresses the fundamental elements necessary to create quality early care and education environments for young children around the world. The Global Guidelines were published in 2000.

Key Philosophies

The premises of the Global Guidelines are key philosophies that provide its foundation.

  1. Children are both the present and the future of every nation, they have needs, rights, and intrinsic worth that must be recognized and supported.
  2. Every child should have the opportunity to grow up in a setting that values children, that provides conditions for a safe and secure environment, and that respects diversity.
  3. Knowledge about human development is more substantial now than at any time in history. The new century offers opportunities to consolidate recent gains and respond to new challenges that lie ahead.
  4. Children must receive appropriate nurture and education within and outside their families from birth onward if they are to develop optimally.
  5. Attention to the health, nutrition, education, and psychosocial development of children during their early years is essential for the future well being of nations and the global community.

The ACEI Global Guidelines Assessment (GGA) was developed as a way to assess the implementation of ACEI's Global Guidelines. The assessment serves as a resource for those teaching young children or administering early care and education programs and we invite all educators and childcare providers around the globe to use the GGA. We are pleased that the GGA has been used in over 35 nations.

Instructions for Use

The Global Guidelines Assessment (GGA) is a valuable resource for early care and education programs. The assessment was developed with the input of educators from more than 27 nations. The assessment consists of five program content areas: Environment and Physical Space, Curriculum Content and Pedagogy, Early Childhood Educators and Caregivers, Partnerships with Families and Communities, and Young Children with Special Needs.

The 2011 edition of the GGA includes 76 indicators of program quality that have global relevance; however, please keep in mind that specific markers of how a standard is met may vary from nation to nation. Although the GGA includes a general rating scale (excellent to inadequate), educators will need to determine their own methods of measuring the attainment of indicators in relation to their own nation's policies and community practices and settings. ACEI encourages educators to use these resources either to design new early childhood programs or improve existing programs.

We are pleased to announce that a revised version of the GGA is now available.

Click here to download the pdf in English

pdf Click here to download the pdf in French

Click here to download the pdf in Spanish

Click here to download the pdf in Greek

pdf Click here to download the pdf in Chinese (simplified)

Click here to download the pdf in Chinese (traditional)

Translations in Korean, Russian, Italian, and Swahili will be available soon.

ACEI GGA Research Study

ACEI is continuing to conduct validity and reliability studies on the GGA. If you wish to participate in the GGA study please contact Dr. Beth Sandell by e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Data collection guidelines have been included with some of the assessment tools for those participating in the study. If you are involved in the research and assisting with the translation of the guidelines please click here to view the Consensus Process