The purpose of the Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council is to strengthen state-level coordination and collaboration among the various sectors and settings of early childhood education programs. ECAC conducts periodic statewide assessments of needs regarding early childhood education programs and identifies opportunities for and barriers to coordination and collaboration among early childhood education programs. They also develop recommendations related to increasing participation in early childhood education program, establishing or improving those programs, establishing statewide standards for those programs, supporting increased family engagement in those programs, and developing a statewide professional development system for educators engaged in supporting those programs. ECAC assesses the capacity and effectiveness of institutions of higher education in Nevada in developing teachers for early childhood education and establish guidelines for evaluating the school readiness of children. The Council develops and submits an annual report on their activities and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.

ECAC is an independent council which collaborates with the Department; for more information, ECAC hosts an independent informational website, which retains their meeting materials and resources.