Building a groundswell of support requires assistance from higher up the food chain. Public advocacy at the local, state, or federal level can help address the need for access to affordable, high-quality childcare. In addition to direct benefits to your organization, public advocacy can impact and build capacity in your community at scale.
Public advocacy is a long-term commitment that can positively impact your brand and establish your industry leadership and influence. It often involves partnering with existing childcare coalitions, but realize that it can create scrutiny on employer investments in childcare and working parents.
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Next Steps
What You Can Do
Identify key influencers
Your state and local chamber government relations teams can help connect you to the key players. Elected officials and local and state advocacy organizations can be some of your biggest champions.
Learn the landscape
Understand how childcare is funded and regulated in your areas of interest. Explore the existing childcare policy agendas that can be supported or leveraged.
Build grassroots support
Get your working parents involved in the advocacy effort, as well as others in the supply chain, such as distributors and vendors.
Determine your advocacy agenda
Assess your asks and positions relative to other public advocacy or policy agendas you care about.
Develop a strategy for advocacy
Consider collaborating with other employers or chambers to maximize impact. Seek out existing coalitions. Incorporate parents’ voices into your advocacy efforts. Get to know the key players and their public agendas. Identify budget and legislative priorities that represent opportunities for influence.
Maximize your impact
Look for ways to increase your impact by collaborating with other employers and/or chambers Incorporate working parent voices into your advocacy.
