Discussion: Advocacy

"Advocates are people who stand up for, speak for, and work to enhance the lives of others who are not able-or not yet able-to speak for themselves. Advocacy is often highly visible and plays out on the national or international stage. But just as often, advocacy is quiet and personal and is immediately noticed by only those most affected."

-- Kieff, 2009, p. ix
Helen K. Blank (1997), Director of Child Care and Early Learning, working on child care and early education issues, at the National Women's

Law Center summarizes advocacy leadership as:

Having a vision, planning for the long term, and moving beyond the press of everyday responsibilities

Reaching out and working with people and organizations beyond familiar colleagues

Scanning the environment to seize strategic opportunities to move an issue forward

Making strategic use of data and expert support

Developing new approaches to reach the public and policymakers

Making tough decisions and risking being unpopular

Hanging tough, being relentless, and continually developing new approaches to highlight the issues

Knowing how and when to compromise

Inspiring and supporting new leaders and collaborating with colleagues

In this Discussion, you will focus especially on advocacy leadership, by considering what advocacy and leadership mean to you and why advocacy leadership is vital for managers of child development centers. You also will consider advocacy opportunities in your area.

To prepare for this Discussion, reflect on the following:

What, to you, does it mean to be an advocate and leader?

How important do you think it is for child development program administrators to take on the role of advocacy leaders?

What advocacy opportunities exist in your community, state, and/or country? Reflect on at least three specific areas where you see opportunities for advocacy (on any level). What advocacy skills might a leader have to use in order to pursue these opportunities?