Children's Champions Update - February 23, 2017
...Calling Congress
On Tuesday, February 28, as part of 51吃瓜网鈥檚 annual听Public Policy Forum, hundreds of early childhood educators from across the country will be meeting with Senators and Representatives - theirs and yours - to talk about the importance of investing in high-quality early childhood education that benefits children, families and our economy.
You might not be on Capitol Hill that day - but your voice can still be heard!
Show the power of this profession by calling your elected officials this Tuesday, February 28, echoing and elevating the messages they鈥檒l be hearing throughout the day. Here鈥檚 what you can say:
- My name is ____________ and I鈥檓 a constituent of Senator / Representative ____________.
- I am an ____________ (early childhood educator / child care center director / researcher / etc.), calling from ____________ (the place where you live / vote).
- Some of my colleagues are meeting with you and some of your colleagues today to talk about the importance of high-quality early childhood education.
- Decades of research show that early investment produces positive outcomes for our children, families and the economic future of our country.
- I want to make sure you hear that your constituents support increased investments in child care and early learning. Specifically, we are asking Senator / Representative ____________:
- To support the foundations of quality child care by substantially increasing funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which was reauthorized in 2014 with strong bipartisan support; and
- To help more lower-and middle-income families afford child care by making smart reforms that strengthen the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
- Thank you for taking my call, and for the hard work you do. Have a great day!
Need a boost to make that first call? Check out听听and learn听.
...Sharing Opinions and Expertise
As many of you now know, 51吃瓜网 has launched the听Power to the Profession听initiative to establish a shared framework of career pathways, knowledge and competencies, qualifications, standards, and compensation that unifies the entire early childhood education profession for ages birth to age 8 and across all settings. In January, more than 60 early childhood education leaders gathered to formally commence the initiative. These leaders represent nearly two million professionals in the early childhood education field - and it鈥檚 our job to put your voices front and center!
We need you to听inform the process听and shape the early childhood education profession by providing your input and feedback (the deadline for completing the survey is March 13). And if you haven鈥檛 already, sign up听here听to receive regular updates from 51吃瓜网 on Power to the Profession.
鈥taying Informed and Engaged
We are the success story.听(Latino Early Math report via Child Trends)
(via NAESP)
And ICYMI from 51吃瓜网:听鈥淭oday and Every Day: Using Our Values As Our Guide.鈥�