Slides used in our presentation at the 2019 Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference.

1. Raising
Parents' Voices
for
Policy Change
in ECE!
Saturday, March 2nd
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Plaza Concourse Level
Governor’s Square 9
#RMECC2019

2. Parent Voices
Community
Organizing and
Relationship
Building
“Our voices are the most
powerful weapon”
Malala Yousafzai

3. Parent Voices
Community
Organizing and
Relationship
Building
Any parents in the room?!

4. Our Flow
1. Warming‐Up
2. Child Care and Social Justice
3. Parents Engagement: Parent Voices &
Parent Leadership Training Institute
4. Policy Change
5. Group Discussion

5. Warming Up
Name
Organization / City or Neighborhood
What question(s) would you like to
have answered during this session?

6. Child Care and
Social Justice

7. Parent Voices
Community
Organizing and
Relationship
Building
What are some ways that
child care is part of
movements for
social equity and justice?

8. Child Care and
Social Justice
Economic Justice + Education

9. Child Care &
Economic,
Social, and
Gender Justice

10. Parents Engagement

11. Parent Voices
Community
Organizing and
Relationship
Building
What are some of the ways
parents can get engaged in
policy advocacy?

12. Many ways to
make a
difference
 Participate in community meetings
 Vote
 Protest
 Speak at public meetings
 Contact elected representatives (e.g. letters,
emails, phone calls)
 Serve on public boards and commissions
 Run for office
 Join a membership organization
 ….

13. Source:
iap2.org

14. Parent Voices
History and Organizational Structure
 Three‐pronged approach:
Local, statewide, and national levels

15. Parent Voices
Video
The Waiting List
https://vimeo.com/310220719

16. Parent Voices
Community
Organizing and
Relationship
Building
 Relationship‐building is key
 Collective and individual transformation: to
build power, we need to build people
 Organizing gets the good, builds power
 No shortcut: You do the hard work
 Hold them accountable

17. Parent Voices
Community
Organizing and
Relationship
Building
 There is not a master organizer
 Constantly learning: Phone call after phone
call/ meeting after meeting
 Persistence pays

18. Parent Voices
Community
Organizing and
Relationship
Building
What are you doing to build the
capacity of people to be effective in
future fights ?

19. Parent Voices
Community
Organizing and
Relationship
Building
Stay close to the ground

20. Parent Voices
Strategies
National
Members of countrywide networks and coalitions
 United Parent Leaders Action Network – UPLAN
 Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI)
 Center for Community Change – Child Care Cohort
 Ms. Foundation ‐ Economic Justice Cohort
State
• Budget Campaigns
• Legislative Advocacy
• Stand for Children Day – 900 parents at the Capitol!!!
• Annual Leadership Retreat

21. Parent Voices
Strategies
Regional
Knowledge is Power
‐ Families learn about state budget process
Annual Retreat
‐ Issues identification and annual policy agenda
Local
‐ Each chapter has an organizer who is a staff of the
Resource & Referral Agency
‐ Leadership Academy

22. Parent
Leadership
Training
Institute
Solano County
Parent Leadership Training Institute
Parents define the curriculum and participate in its evaluation.
Each class of parents mentors the next class, creating a pyramid effect
of community caring and developing a coalition of parent leaders.

23. Children
Leadership
Training
Institute
Solano County
Children Leadership Training Institute
Parallel course to the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI)
that uses literacy as a foundation and creates a
full spectrum of activities based on parallel the PLTI.

24. The
Importance
of
Partnerships
Women’s Foundation of California
County Board of Supervisors
Marguerite Casey Foundation
Funding the Next Generation
 County Offices of Education
 Social Service Agencies
 Public Health Departments
Marin Grassroots Leadership Network
 And many others….

25. Policy Change

26. Local
Measures
San Francisco – Prop C
Alameda – Measure A
Marin – Measure A
Solano – Measure A + B
LESSONS LEARNED /OBSTACLES
Grassroots x Grasstops
Professionalization of Non‐Profits
Sustainability ‐ funding

27. State
Legislation

28. Group Discussion

29. Group
Discussion
How does our experience connect with
yours?
Do you plan to implement any strategies we
shared today?

30. Parent Voices
Community
Organizing and
Relationship
Building
We are powerful beyond measure.
Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
Marianne Williamson

31. THANK YOU!
¡GRACIAS!
OBRIGADX
Clarissa Doutherd
clarissa@pvoakland.org
@msclarissaellen
Ericka Omena Erickson
eerickson@childnet.org
@erickaoerickson