Jean Goulart |
NAEYC 2017 Policy Forum
California AEYC (CAEYC) was proud to host an 11-member delegation to the February 2017 NAEYC Policy Forum in Washington, DC. Our CAEYC team California included Tiffany Alva, Fran Chasen, Cheryl Horney, Nancy Hurlbut, Laura Kohn, Cary Larson-McKay, Julie Lowen, Sandra Perez, Sally Swiatek, Roxanne Weaver and Team Leader Jean Goulart, CAEYC Public Policy Vice Chair. We represented a diverse workforce: a nonprofit director of early learning literacy and math programs, early childhood consultant with early intervention programs, early headstart program director, UC college dean, nonprofit director for change initiatives, college professor, CEO/President multi early learning centers, undergraduate student and owner/director of child development center, nonprofit founder/director preschool, undergraduate student, and Nature Explore Certified preschool and childcare owner/director. All of these team members volunteer for multiple child-focused groups outside of their work. They are truly a team devoted to all children, families and our early childhood field.
In Washington, we were joined by NAEYC Vice President Ida Rose Florez along with sponsors from Lakeshore Learning Company, Kevin Carnes and Bright Horizons’ Rachel Robertson. The full team visited Patricia Ross, staffer for Nancy Pelosi, and Crystal Martinez, staffer for Diane Feinstein. We were well received and supported. Both legislators are supportive of NAEYC’s advocacy points: increased funding for the Child Care Block Grant, increased funding for the Higher Education Act to build a stronger workforce including year-round Pell grants, loan forgiveness programs for eligible early childhood educators working outside elementary school settings, tax incentives that help families and drive quality, such as a fully refundable child and dependent care tax credit, and rewarding educators who improve their teaching practices. Sadly, the political climate is no longer as welcoming, driving home the understanding that we must be proactive about holding on to what we have already achieved. Following these meetings the team separated to attend their local representative appointments.
The NAEYC Policy Forum is an annual event! As next year’s Public Policy Chair, I would like to invite CAEYC members to be a part of next year’s team. I would love to hear about your ideas and proven practices. I want to share in your enthusiasm and passion for your heart-centered work with children, families and our practice. Invest yourself and early childhood practice through public policy advocacy. Our child care advocacy battle began during WWII and came very close to ending after the war. “Groups failed to persuade Congress to pass the 1946 Maternal and Child Welfare Act, which would have continued federal funding for child care, but they did win public child care provisions in New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC and in California.”* Hurray for Californians! History shows the issue was mothers must stay home. Mothers that worked were frowned upon. Today child care is a family issue for survival. Children and families deserve quality child development to grow into healthy adults.
As Californians have brought us this far, join others in advocacy to continue early childhood advancement. Make your presence and work known to your local legislators. Visit their local office, call them monthly and invite them to visit your work. These first steps are the proven grassroots movement. Early educators know that relationship is essential to quality childcare; building relationships with our legislators is essential for their support of our work with children and families. My mantra since 1997: Together We Achieve More, TEAM. Join the TEAM to be a voice for the children who grow into our future.
Now is the time to start planning for your participation in the 2018 event! As TEAM volunteers pay their own way to the Washington DC Policy Forum, planning now will enable you to advocate for financial support from your local AEYC chapter, employment, your local child care planning council and other groups supporting advocacy. Chapters can develop local financial means to support delegates both for upcoming CAEYC Early Learning Advocacy Day (ELAD) on May 24, 2017 in Sacramento and the NAEYC Policy Forum in 2018.
*Reference
Michel, S. (2011). The history of child care in the U.S. Social Welfare History Project. Retrieved April 9, 2017 from http://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/child-care-the-american-history/