The field of early care and education continues to change, and strong leadership is needed to ensure that it is moving in the right direction to benefit young children and their families. Early childhood programs face pressure at national, state, and local levels to meet performance standards, increase accountability, ensure efficiency, and offer high-quality services, placing increased demands on leaders. This is a critical time to develop effective and responsive leadership initiatives that will support and advance the early childhood profession in the Southern states and across the U.S. Thoughtful, well-planned, and coordinated efforts will not only launch and support the early childhood profession, but also will directly benefit children and their families. While developing new leadership is a difficult task, it is an essential step toward securing a bright future for the field of early care and education. This article is a call to action for Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA) states to invest in and secure leaders in early care and education who will advocate for children, families, and professional success.