Advocate for Yourself

10/04/2016

The things that go unsaid are often the things that eat at you.
Celeste Ng, Author

"Have you ever met with an elected official to talk about the work you do? Have you ever written or called a legislator's office based on an action alert you received? Do you know the name of your congressional representative and where he/she stands on child care?"

In Promoting Early Childhood Services, Eric Karolak asks us to reflect on these questions and notes, "Elected officials make decisions that really do impact your day-to-day work as a child care provider. Many of the forms you fill out, trainings you attend, tuition assistance you receive, benchmarks you strive for, and processes you adhere to are because of a piece of legislation or regulation from Washington, DC or your state capital."

"The truth is child care teachers (and administrators) know more about children, child development, appropriate practice, and what makes a good program, than many legislators. Legislators at all levels have competing priorities. It takes experts like you, and all of us working together, to keep them thinking about child care."

"Advocacy doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to be effective. There are many ways to get involved. The most important thing to remember is that you know best. It's time to let decision-makers know it."

Scholastic, Big Day -What are the critial elements every pre-k program needs? Find out.

Learning Naturally - Inspirational Online Learning (www.learningnaturally.org)

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