Ethics--in the form of knowledge and skill in making responsible professional decisions--is one of the most fundamental qualities of a competent early childhood educator. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) developed its Code of Ethical Conduct to promote the application of core values, ideals, and principles to guide teachers' decision making about ethical issues. This book is designed to introduce the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and show how to use it. The book contains the text of NAEYC's "Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment," an introduction to the field of morality and ethics, the history and rationale for the development of the NAEYC code, and strategies for identifying and addressing ethical dilemmas. Specific chapters address each of the four sections of the code and approaches toward increasing an awareness and use of the code. The book contains the following chapters: (1) "An Introduction to Morality and Ethics"; (2) "The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct; (3) "Addressing Ethical Issues"; (4) "Ethical Responsibilities to Children"; (5) "Ethical Responsibilities to Families"; (6) "Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues"; (7) "Ethical Responsibilities to Community and Society"; and (8) "The Code of Ethical Conduct Is a Living Document." (Contains 46 references.) (LPP)