Civic Engagement & Effective Advocacy

The entire early education field is under funded.  There is still a lack of understanding among the general public of how critical early learning is to the development of healthy, productive citizens and how we need additional resources to fairly compensate well trained teachers to provide quality care.

To improve this situation child care professionals must become effective advocates for the importance of investing in early education.  To help accomplish this goal, Childspace CDI offers training in effective advocacy and recruits child care providers to participate in and lead policy efforts.

Training is available covering the following topics:

• Why vote?
• How do I vote, or know what to vote for?
• Where does money for child care come from?
• How does the legislative and budget process work?
• How can I influence policy decisions?

Child care providers are encouraged to become involved in advocacy by:

• Learning about policies that directly affect the field;
• Joining committees that determine how to organize support for child care issues;
• Contacting their legislators by writing, calling or visiting them;
• Sharing information with their coworkers and parents to encourage them to speak up about early education issues;
• Organizing and participating in events that publicize the issues.

Examples of Successful Advocacy:

• Child care providers joined an effective statewide campaign to increase budget allocations for childcare programs in 2003/04 at a time when other social service programs were cut.
• Childspace CDI organized child care providers to pressure Department of Public Welfare officials to improve responsiveness of subsidy payment system through wide distribution of report cards on the Department, local accountability meetings, and ongoing statewide advocacy.  As a result, a Workgroup was established by the Welfare Department to provide direct input from providers into how the system could be more efficient.
• Child care providers spoke up in favor of changes in subsidy regulations that made eligibility simpler for parents, and easier for child care businesses to administer.  Parents were required to have eligibility determined every six months, instead of every month.  Forms for providers were simplified.
• In 2000 Childspace CDI organized child care providers to push for a 14% increase in subsidy rates.

To contact us:

5517 Greene Street Philadelphia, PA 19144

Phone: 215-842-3050 Fax: 215-842-3075