Advocacy

What is advocacy?

Advocacy is as basic as speaking on behalf of oneself or others to get something done. For example, as child advocates we seek to ensure that the children in our community have a voice and that their needs are met. This can mean speaking on behalf of children and families to your local community officials, your state-level elected officials, or your federal policy-makers.

Why should you be an advocate?

The most obvious reason to be a child and family advocate is that you care. You care about the children in our country and want them to be safe, healthy and happy. It follows that you want to help ensure that local, state and federal policy-makers adopt, implement, and maintain important policies and programs that support children and families. In order to ensure that these policies and programs are maintained, it is critical to have a sustained vocal and noticeable presence at all levels of policy­making. You can be a part of that presence and, therefore, you can be a part of the effort to protect our nation's children and families.