Planning a Visit to Child Care Centers for Legislators
A legislative recess is a perfect opportunity to bring the message about child care to your Representative or Senators while they are visiting home districts. While it is valuable to secure time on your representatives' calendar for an office meeting, you can strengthen your case by inviting them to visit a local child care program.
The concept behind a site visit is a simple one: Seeing is believing. Site visits (such as CDF's Child Watch Visitation Program) allow elected officials and other community leaders to look into a child's eyes and see issues firsthand. They provide an opportunity for your elected officials to move out of their legislative chambers and into the world of the real children and families whose lives they effect every day with their decisions. The following are some tips and guiding principles that will help you to craft an effective visit.
- Scheduling Plan the visit to maximize attendance and attention. When home for a short recess, legislators are not likely to afford much more than an hour for such a visit, so plan according to their scheduling constraints. You also may find that the morning hours afford more scheduling flexibility for your representatives. People who are not used to young children or child care can be helped to feel more comfortable if they have a specific focus for the visit. Trying to get adults to interact with children during free time is difficult, and the children may not be very welcoming if you are interrupting their "work." Send a letter from the children of the child care site inviting legislators to share 30 minutes with the children for a light breakfast. Legislators are likely to stay longer if they wish, but keep the official invitation to 30 minutes.
- Site Selection It is critical to select a site that best illustrates the core message you want to relay to your legislator. Avoid intrusiveness by selecting a site that can comfortably accommodate the size of your group.
- What makes a good site?
- Programmatically sound services. Select a site that is respected in the field so that it is beyond the reproach of a critical eye.
- Opportunity to interact with children. Seeing children's faces gives the greatest urgency to arguments for policies that can improve their lives.
- Articulate, enthusiastic, personable directors. An interesting site can quickly become an awful visit if the program director does not do a good job of explaining the program, answering questions, and addressing policy issues.
- Programs serving a mix of children. Make an effort to visit programs that serve a diverse group of children.
- Activity Attendees can be brought closer to the issue through interactive experiences. For example, sitting in little chairs with children in a structured time (such as breakfast) is more effective, and visitors can always start a conversation with children about the food. If all visitors cannot be seated with the children at breakfast, take part of the group on a tour of the facility before bringing them back to interact with the children. Message All planning for a legislative site visit must be firmly rooted in a clear and concise message. It is critical to develop a uniform message that transcends any single site message so that your representative walks away with a greater understanding about local or state child care needs rather than a specific opinion about one child care center or program director. Don't plan a big presentation or focus a lot of time talking. Instead, let visitors know you can answer any questions they have. Note that they are likely to ask questions when they arrive and when they leave. Give legislators written materials as they leave or while taking them on a tour. Keep materials brief (like a brochure about the program and a one-page fact sheet that highlights the message you want the legislator to understand).
- What happens when issues are raised that you did not expect? Always neutralize potentially negative or distracting issues by connecting back to the message of the day. All written materials and site directors must be "on page" with the central theme of the day in order to make sure the focus stays where it is most needed. Do your homework, and know your attendees and their concerns. Thank participants for taking the time to visit and thank them for their past support, if appropriate.
- Follow-up It is important to incorporate visits by local officials, business leaders, and community leaders as part of a regular routine. Children and staff can begin to get comfortable with "dignitaries" visiting, and you will learn how to make the visits less stressful for all. The most important element in visits with legislators is to establish a constructive connection with you and the program that will continue in the future. This should not be a one-time event. In order to maximize effectiveness, there should be a plan as to how this site visit fits into a more extensive advocacy agenda. Impressions and experiences gleaned during a site visit should be revisited at a time when your representative is called upon to show leadership for child care that works for American families.
To download the Children’s Defense Fund’s “Child Care and Head Start Organizer’s Toolkit” go to: http://www.childrensdefense.org/earlychildhood/cc_hs_toolkit.pdf
Download a copy of Planning a Visit (word)