Make a Difference! Advocacy Made Easy for Kansas Early Learning Professionals

By Amanda Gress, Kansas Action for Children and Voices for Children Foundation, KAEYC Board Member

At Kansas Action for Children (KAC), one of the best parts of my work is helping Kansans across the state make a difference in the political process. Will Kansas commit to the investments that will help Kansas children thrive? Will state policymakers choose policy options that improve the quality of early learning experiences for all Kansas children? Engaged early learning professionals in a legislator’s home district can make the difference in the Statehouse when it counts the most.

KAC collected our experience and advice for effective advocacy in our “Intro to Advocacy” toolkit (if you’d like a hard copy, just give KAC a call). In a nutshell, here’s how you can make a difference:

• Learn what’s happening. Our toolkit shares an overview of the legislative process, and there’s a wealth of information available online. I recommend signing up for KAC’s email updates, following the hashtag #ksleg on Twitter, and exploring the state Legislature’s website at www.kslegislature.org.
• Build relationships. Once you’ve found the policymakers who represent you (you can use NAEYC’s Action Center), reach out and introduce yourself. You are an early learning expert, and you see how public policy choices impact children every single day. That makes you a valuable resource for lawmakers, and you can cultivate a relationship with them by getting involved in local civic events, like town hall meetings, and by keeping in touch. For example, if you see a new resource about why high-quality early learning matters, you might consider sending it to your legislator with a short note about how you see the impact of early learning paying off in your community.
• Take action! When you’re passionate about an issue and have an opinion about what decision is best for Kansas kids, it’s time to take action and let your lawmaker know. Whether you call, write or meet in person, it’s important to keep your message short and simple. Share your name and where you’re from (so they know you’re a constituent), why you’re reaching out, and a specific request. Whenever possible, personalize your message to your own story and your community.
• Get your message out. Many voices are stronger than one, and you can increase your effectiveness by getting others to share your message. You can reach out to your network of stakeholders with newsletters, social media posts or emails. You can also be in touch with members of your local media (for example, with a letter to the editor) describing your point of view.

Every year policymakers make decisions that affect Kansas children, and the 2017 Legislative Session will be an important one for Kansas kids. Let’s start now and work together to make a difference! Read through Intro to Advocacy to see if it sparks any new ideas for getting involved, and please feel free to be in touch with Kansas Action for Children (785.232.0550, or kac@kac.org) if we can be of help.