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Being an Effective Policy Advocate for
Children and Families

Christine Johnson-Staub
Senior Policy Analyst
Child Care and Early Education

Southeast Region Inter-CHNA Leadership Conference
Plymouth, MA
May 11, 2012
www.clasp.org

• Reviewing keys to effective public advocacy
for low-income and at-risk families
• Identifying clear policy goals
• Targeting and timing advocacy efforts
• Using data and personal stories to make
your case and craft an effective message
• “Advocacy 101” tips: communication,
relationship building, and strategy

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The act or process of
… supporting a cause
or proposal.
~www.merriam-webster.com

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• Businesses
• Non-profit organizations
• Lobbyists
• Researchers/academics
• Anyone who has an interest in public policy
• Voters/constituents
• YOU

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Establishing Policy Goals

5

• Strong families with adequate income, time,
flexibility, parenting information and support
• Access to health care (screening, medical home,
health insurance)
• Quality early learning experiences
• Healthy and supportive communities

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System of Services for Young Children

Source: Early Childhood Systems Working Group.

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• What do children and families need to be
healthy?
• What policies and budget items shape and
effect your work?
• What opportunities exist to strengthen or expand
existing policies and funding streams?
• What works? Take an asset based approach.
• What have other states/communities done?

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Targeting and Timing Your
Advocacy Strategies

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• WHO: What are the potential alliances, and who
are the potential champions?
• WHEN: What opportunities are presented by
current events, timing, etc.?
• HOW: What are the political realities? What
strategies will be most effective to influence your
target population.

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• Who makes the policy and public spending decisions?
Legislators (and staff!)
Legislative committees
Administrators
• Who influences the policy decisions
Business and community leaders
Voters
Media
• Who are your allies?
Coalitions and other groups
Champions

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• Take into consideration legislative timelines.
For legislation, where are you in the session?
Are committees hearing bills? This is a chance to talk
about your issue.
Is it budget season? What phase of the budget are
you in? Late winter and early spring are key advocacy
points.
• Federal initiatives are generally on a slower and
less predictable timetable.
• If there’s a hook, use it to raise visibility.

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• Two year legislative sessions in MA
We’re reaching the end of 2011-2012. Legislation
for new session will be filed in late fall – with
some new legislators!
• Committee process
• Floor process
• Both General Court (House) and Senate
• Conference
• Governor

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• Almost all public policy is set through legislation,
administrative regulations, or through the state
or federal budget process.
• Know when those trains are moving – get the
schedule and check in at every stop!
• Once the train has left the station, you still have
multiple opportunities to get on board and
change its direction.

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Finding and Using Data to
Make Your Case

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• Who are the people in your
state/community?
• What do they need to be
healthy and thrive?
• How can data paint a picture of
well-being in your state?
• How and where are individuals
getting services?

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Children Under Age 6 by Family Income, 2010

Poor (under
100% of
poverty)
25%
Above 200% of
poverty
52%
Low-income
(100-200% of
poverty)
23%

Source: National Center for Children in Poverty.

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Children Living in Low-income and Poor Families
in the U.S. by Age Group, 2009

48% 48%
44%
40%

25% 24%
21% Poor
18%
Low-Income

Birth - 2 3-5 6-11 12-17

Source: National Center for Children in Poverty.

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Young Children by Race/Ethnicity, 2010
Other
6%

Asian
5%

Hispanic
White
25%
51%

Black
14%

Note: Percentages do not add up to 100 percent due to
rounding.

Source: National Center for Children in Poverty
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Source: Donald Hernandez, Center for Social & Demographic Analysis, from Population Projections Program, Population Division, U.S. Census
Bureau, Issued January 13, 2000.

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FCD Child Well-being Index (CWI)
Index Value

Source: "Measuring Social Disparities" (2008) by Donald J. Hernandez and Suzanne Macartney; University at Albany, SUNY.

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• Head Start serves 40 percent of
eligible preschoolers and about 3
percent of eligible infants and
toddlers in Early Head Start.

• Child care subsidies serve 17
percent of eligible children.

Source: HS analysis by NWLC; CCDBG analysis by HHS.

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Source: Peisner-Feinberg, E. S., Burchinal, M. R., Clifford, R. M., Culkin, M.L., Howes, C., Kagan, S. L., Yazejian, N., Byler, P., Rustici, J., & Zelazo, J. The
children of the cost, quality, and outcomes study go to school: Executive summary. 1999.

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• In December 2011, SNAP participation was the
highest level ever (46.5 million children and
adults).
1 in 7 people in U.S. receive SNAP.
7 in 10 people eligible for SNAP receive benefits.
• Nearly half (47 percent) of SNAP recipients are
children.
1 in 4 children in U.S. receive SNAP.

Source: USDA and Food Research Action Center (FRAC).

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• www.clasp.org/data
Poverty
Young Child Demographics
o Race, ethnicity, immigrant family
status
Child Care spending/participation
Head Start/Early Head Start
participation
TANF spending

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• www.clasp.org/in_the_states/
• Find fact sheets on:
Head Start
Child Care assistance
TANF spending
Infant/toddler initiatives

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• NCCP: Demographics Wizard, create custom tables of national- and state-level
statistics about low-income or poor children under the age of six.
www.nccp.org/tools/demographics/
• NCCP: Improving the Odds for Young Children provides state-specific, regional,
and national profiles that integrate data about an array of policies that affect early
childhood development. www.nccp.org/profiles/early_childhood.html
• Children in Newcomer and Native Families presents a large number of indicators
reflecting the characteristics of children from birth through age 17 in immigrant families
by country or region of origin and in native-born families by race-ethnicity.
http://mumford.albany.edu/children/data_list_open.htm
• FRAC’s Federal Food Programs State Profiles include information on state
demographics, poverty, food insecurity, participation in federal nutrition programs, and
state economic security policies.
www.frac.org/html/federal_food_programs/federal_index.html.
• NCSL State Early Care and Education Legislative Database provides information
on all proposed and enacted legislation covering early care and education including
child care, prekindergarten, family support. www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/ECELD.cfm
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• American FactFinder:
http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html
• Mapping:
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/maps/
• State and County Quickfacts:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html
• Population Projections:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/projectio
ns/

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Using Personal Stories to
Make Your Case

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• Give examples of experiences in your
community.
• Translate the unmet needs and gaps in
services into faces and families.
• Talk about success - how state and
federal programs do help individuals
connect to needed resources.
• Get individuals involved. Hearing
personal stories first hand is powerful.

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• Organize advocacy days or groups to attend
hearings, and help with transportation, etc.
• Collect stories in writing, via video, or in other
creative ways.
• Offer individuals moral support and help them
prepare for speaking to policy makers.
• Work with media to include profiles of individuals
in their coverage of issues.
• Use social media to generate calls and emails
sharing stories.
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• Communicate, communicate, communicate
Letters
Phone calls
Emails
On-line campaigns
In person visits (in their offices, your organization, or
events)
• Use data to present the big picture, and stories
to fill in the details.

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• Briefly share your experience and why this issue
is important to you.
• Be very specific about what you want them to
do:
File or co-sponsor a piece of legislation
Support a budget item
Vote for a bill or a budget amendment
Speak to a colleague or at a hearing
Make a regulatory change

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Tips for Advocates

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• Collect stories and experiences and use them –
nothing is more powerful than personal stories
from voters.
• Keep on top of things through newsletters,
personal relationships, and joining campaigns
• Relationships, relationships, relationships!
• Be prepared.

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• Take a long view. Even if your issues aren’t
moving, building relationships & making the
case now will put you in a position to have an
impact over time.
• Know what you want, and be specific.
• Be available to answer any questions, and be
willing to track down more information.
• Always end with an ask...and follow-up.
• Always, always, always say thank you!

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Contact us:
Christine Johnson-Staub (cjohnsonstaub@clasp.org)

Visit us at www.clasp.org

Follow us:
http://www.facebook.com/CLASP.org
http://twitter.com/CLASP_DC
http://twitter.com/hnmatthews

www.clasp.org

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