What Is Advocacy?
Advocacy is the process by which a person attempts to affect or influence someone else's behavior or attitude to reach a goal. Advocacy is about promoting change within systems -- systems that don't always want to be changed.
"Early Childhood advocacy is about making changes -- changes to improve the lives of young children and their families, and the status of those who work so hard to teach and care for them. It is about convictions and compassion, empowerment and energy, courage and consensus."*
Who can be an advocate?
If you work with children and families, you are already an advocate.
Why be an advocate?
Because the children and families of Kansas City need you!
Where do you advocate?
Anywhere!!! Everywhere!!! Be an advocate at your center, with your parents, with your administrators, your neighbors and at your churches.
Advocacy can be as simple as sharing your profession with pride, educating others on developmentally appropriate practices, and taking a stand when you feel something is wrong.
It can be more complex, such as working at a legislative level, calling your legislators to educate them on childrens' issues, uniting others to take a stand with you, lobbying at the state capitol or writing letters to the opinion section of the newspaper.
*"Speaking Out: Early Childhood Advocacy" by Stacie G. Goffin and Joan Lombardi, copyright 1988, third printing 1994, NAEYC.
Source: AEYC Missouri Public Policy Training, September 2001.
