Resources for Advocacy
Interested in getting involved in ECE policy issues? Not sure where to begin?
Take a look at our free advocacy resources to discover quick and easy ways to get involved, including locating and communicating with your legislators, educating your community, and engaging caregivers about the importance of quality early childhood education and care.
State ECE Campaigns
- Joint Early Learning PA 2019 Budget Ask
- Pre-K for PA Fact Sheet
- Support Pre-K for PA
- County/District Pre-K Fact Sheets
- Start Strong PA Fact Sheet
- Support Start Strong PA
Philadelphia Advocacy
- Resources for Supporting PHLpreK and the Soda Tax
- Fact Sheet on Pre-K Quality and Access in Philadelphia
- ECE and School Outcomes in grades K-12
Get Out the Vote (GOTV)
- Get Out the Vote Toolkit (English)
- Get Out the Vote Toolkit (Spanish)
- Top Ten Activities
- Election Calendar
- Voter Guide
- Your Vote Can Make a Difference
- Our Kids Can’t Vote Flier
- Our Kids Can’t Vote Stickers (Avery 94107)
- Your Vote, Your Voice
Build Your Leadership/Advocacy Skills
- Download our March and April Advocacy Toolkit! Summer Advocacy Toolkit
- The ECE Fellowship (Check out this web page or contact Pamela Haines for more information.)
- SEPECC Advocacy Training
Contact Your Legislators
- Find Your State Legislator (Pennsylvania)
- Contact Your State Legislator (Pennsylvania)
- Visit Your State Legislator
Legislator Resources
- Planning a Visit for Legislators to Child Care Centers
- Apple Advocacy Craft
- Adopt-a-Legislator Overview
- Adopt-a-Legislator Certificate
- Find Childcare Program Data by PA House District
- Find Childcare Program Data by PA Senate District
Resources for Effective Organizing
- Summer Advocacy Toolkit
- Week of the Young Child Advocacy 2022
- Storytelling Toolkit
- Action Toolkit for Early Learning Superheroes
- Call It Childcare Initiative
Resources for Parents
ECE Resources and Research Studies
- The Urgent Need for Childcare – ReadyNation’s 2019 study examining the economic impacts of the nation’s child care crisis on infants and toddlers, working parents, employers, and taxpayers describes an annual cost of $57 billion in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
- Universal High-Quality Preschool in NJ: Academic Outcomes Through 10th Grade – Higher achievement test scores and lower rates of grade repetition for children who attended a New Jersey universal preschool program persist through 10th grade, according to new NIEER research published in Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
- Strategies for Improving Early Educator Preparation – We know that high-quality ECE requires teachers who are able to access quality, affordable training so that they’re well-prepared prior to entering the classroom, supported in their professional growth once they’re in the classroom, and paid well enough to remain in the classroom rather than leave for a more lucrative profession. Now, a new report from Bellwether Education Partners, HeadStarter Network, and the National Head Start Association full of innovative ideas for improving the preparation and support of early educators is sure to spark conversations in the ECE field. The report outlines five strategies for bringing about an effective early educator preparation system.
- Professional Characteristics of the Early Care and Education Workforce: Descriptions by Race, Ethnicity, Languages Spoken, and Nativity Status – Racial and ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity in early care and education (ECE) settings are emerging as critically important aspects of provider quality. Young children from a variety of racial and ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds benefit from culturally diverse experiences in the classroom, as well as experiences that support their households’ cultural background (Reid & Kagan, 2015). This report describes the professional characteristics and motivations of teachers and caregivers working in center-based and home-based settings by race and Hispanic ethnicity, languages spoken, and nativity status.
- State of Babies Yearbook: 2021 – The state where a child is born and lives during their first three years makes a big difference in their chance for a strong start in life. See how your state stacks up—and where significant disparities exist in the opportunities available for babies of color to thrive. The State of Babies Yearbook: 2021 compares national and state-by-state data on the well-being of infants and toddlers.
- The State of Preschool Yearbook 2020 – Created in 2002, the NIEER’s state preschool yearbook is the only annual national report on state-funded preschool programs, tracking enrollment, spending, and policies to support quality. This year’s report includes special sections on the pandemic’s impact and policies to support dual language learners.