Effective Advocacy Practices

Effective public policy advocacy has many components and takes many forms. This entry gives an overview of effective practices in early childhood education policy advocacy, with examples of advocacy activities and strategies.

Why should early childhood professionals be involved in public policy advocacy? One of the national standards set by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for the professional preparation of teachers is the ability to “engage in informed advocacy for children and families and the profession” (NAEYC, 2012, p. 40). Public policy touches early childhood education and educators in multiple ways. A combination of federal, state, and local taxpayer dollars provides subsidies to help children in low-income families reduce their cost of child care so that their families can work and ...