For decades, the highest-quality training for early childhood educators has incorporated a framework known as developmentally appropriate practice (DAP), which includes training on early childhood development, appropriate child assessment, and provision of individualized educational supports for children’s learning and development. In this brief, we first provide an overview of the origins of developmentally appropriate practice and fully define the framework and its role in early care and education settings. We then discuss four research-based facts about developmentally appropriate practice that may be helpful as policymakers strive to provide the early childhood workforce with the tools they need to support young children. (author abstract)