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Developing Effective Advocates: The Key to Effecting Lasting Change for Children

by Jonah Edelman
January/February 2003
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/developing-effective-advocates-the-key-to-effecting-lasting-change-for-children/5014936/

Children in our nation aren't a high priority for elected decisionmakers. Were they a high priority in this rich nation, one in five would not be poor, one in eight would not lack health coverage, and five out of six child care settings would not be of mediocre to poor quality, schools wouldn't have such large class sizes and so few support staff, and after-school programs wouldn't be few and far between.

The core reason why decisionmakers don't prioritize children is that children and adults who care deeply about children's well-being lack the fundamental element that wins public resources: political power. Children don't vote or give political contributions, and, while we have numbers on our side, those of us who stand for children aren't organized into a powerful lobby.

Stand for Children is building that advocacy voice for children one community at a time. Since 1999, we've developed a uniquely effective grassroots child advocacy approach and an accompanying array of training and support that enables us to develop citizens from a wide range of backgrounds into highly effective advocates. Those advocates build local chapters - local citizen lobby groups - capable of effecting multiple changes for children over time. Following is ...

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