Founded in 1892 as the International Kindergarten Union, the Association for Childhood Education International is the oldest professional association of its type in the United States. The organization seeks "to promote and support in the global community the optimal education and development of children, from infancy through middle childhood, and to influence the professional growth of educators, and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society." To help fulfill this mission, the RESEARCH COMMITTEE supports the development and dissemination of research.