Although early childhood services are in high demand, there is a persistent undervaluing of the work of professionals in this field. This undervaluing results in inadequate compensation, high staff turnover, and the impairment of services. In response to these problems, the National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends the following guidelines for compensation: (1) early childhood education professionals with comparable qualifications, experience, and job responsibilities should receive comparable compensation regardless of the setting of their job; (2) compensation should be equivalent to that of other professionals with comparable preparation requirements, experience, and job responsibilities; (3) compensation should not be differentiated on the basis of the ages of children served; (4) professionals should be encouraged to seek additional preparation and should be awarded accordingly; (5) an adequate benefits package should be provided; and (6) career ladders should be established, providing additional increments in salary based on performance and participation in professional development opportunities. (SW)