1. What Is Our Advocacy Role?
Presented by the Public Policy Committee
September 16, 2016

2. Performance Measure 1-3:
Percentage of Planning Council members who take action to increase access to quality ece

3. advo  cate v. To recommend. --n. 1
advo  cate v. To recommend. --n. 1.One who supports or defends a cause. 2. One who pleads on behalf of another. -- ad’vo  ca’cy n.

4. Who Are Advocates? What Do They Do?
Advocates are ordinary people who may or may not have a formal education in politics, education, the courts or other public systems
Advocates collect and analyze information, form opinions, and take action
Action may be as a simple as a one-on- one discussion, or
As complex as writing a letter, organizing a demonstration, mounting a public awareness campaign

5. Everyone in this room is an advocate for children!
One-on-one and collective advocacy with others are effective ways to draw attention to critical children’s issues—talk up issues with the people you come into contact with on a daily basis.
Each of us can build relationships with the students, families and providers we serve and educate them on the issues.
If you use Facebook, or other social media, quick references to important issues can and do make an impact beyond your immediate network.

6. Group Advocacy is Influential
Advocacy groups:
Give a voice to citizen interests
Mobilize citizens to participate in the democratic process
Support the development of a culture of democracy
Assist in the development of better public policy
Ensure governments’ accountability to citizens
Jennifer. Might want to get people to discuss individual vs. collective advocacy examples—with your kid’s teacher, at the doctor, etc.

7. Group Advocacy is Influential

8. CCPC Advocacy Related Bylaws (Approved by the Board of Supervisors and the County Superintendent of Schools 3/8/2005) ARTICLE I: Statement of Purpose The Child Care Planning Council complies with California CalWORKs legislation AB1542 (Ed Code Sections and ) and serves as a forum to address the child care needs of all families and in all child care programs, both subsidized and nonsubsidized, in Alameda County.

9. CCPC Advocacy Related Bylaws (Approved by the Board of Supervisors and the County Superintendent of Schools 3/8/2005) ARTICLE I: Statement of Purpose - continued The Council's major responsibilities are the following (assuming adequate levels of funding and staffing): 1) provide a forum for the recommendation of local priorities for child care funding and the development of policies to meet the needs identified within those priorities when appropriate and requested; and 2) advise the County Board of Supervisors (CBS) and County Superintendent of Schools (CSS) on child care program and policy issues.

10. LPC Bylaws (Approved by the Board of Supervisors and the County Superintendent of Schools 3/8/2005) ARTICLE I: Functions - continued
5. Prepare a comprehensive County-wide child care plan designed to mobilize public and private resources to address identified needs ….
Robin

11. Current LPC Advocacy Protocol
Judy

12. Process for Developing 2016-2017 Legislative Platform
Public Policy Committee:
On August 3 and September 7 discussed anticipated legislative and budget activity
Refined previous platform and added specific language around systematizing AB 833 pilot areas
Approved sending recommended platform to full LPC

14. Questions for Discussion
What are two things you as an individual, or with your organization, can do to reinforce our platform?
What are three things the Planning Council should do to promote our platform?
How can you personalize the ECEPC platform in terms of your program?
Use outcome of this to develop framework for measuring member taking action. Have half the tables answer the first questions, and half answer the second. Do a little sharing as a group, and then conclude with discussing how the platform relates to the people they serve: “Access to ECE” means in terms of my program that Mrs. Smith has AP subsidies and doesn’t have to wait to enroll her child in care.