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A joyful, thriving future for child care
As I prepared to launch Child Care Stories, I spent months debating whether I should totally rethink the work I feel called to do. I wondered whether it seemed out of touch to fully orient my work around a joyful, thriving vision for child care in the United States.
I'm still worried, but now I am resolved. I believe the most important thing we can do to push back against the forces trying to break our institutions is to hold tight to hope for a better future. I believe that in order to overcome the darkness, we need to put forward a compelling alternative to the status quo.
Today, I am proud to share the website I have worked so hard on and excited to work with organizations that share this vision. I hope that if our work aligns, you will reach out (or respond to this email!) with opportunities to work together.
I'm so excited to fill this website with resources, projects, and opportunities to connect in the future.
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In the media
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Should employers step up on child care?
So why, some advocates ask, would we seek to repeat the dysfunction of America’s employer-sponsored health insurance system, and diverge from the more successful universal child care models deployed by other countries?
“I don’t think every idea is necessarily a solution,” Katie Albitz, a New York-based child care advocate, told Vox. Last year Albitz distributed a briefing document outlining why child care supporters should unite against employer-based care.
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While many in our field believe that child care as a benefit of employment is better than nothing, I spoke with Vox's Rachel Cohen about my concern that pursuing this policy will derail advocacy for systemic solutions.
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Upcoming free resources for advocates
In the coming days, I'll be launching registration for two free spring persuasive communications webinars:
- The power of visionary early care and learning policy in uncertain times
- Child care that works for all of us: Messaging and strategy to counter employer-sponsored child care proposals
I am committed to providing free resources to all child care advocates in addition to paid consulting work. If your organization can help make these free resources possible, I would love to partner with you!
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Spotlight: Persuasive policy communications
We believe advocacy achieves the greatest impact with a clearly-defined north star. Instead of scaling back long-term goals to chase a limited idea of “realism,” our work seeks to partner with advocates to change the narrative and expand popular imagination through easily-repeatable, resonant messaging that shapes public discourse and effectively moves policymakers.
What we do:
- Develop templates, toolkits, talking points, call scripts, and op-eds for Congressional budget negotiations and state legislative sessions, drawing on extensive swing district experience.
- Develop context-tailored positive, visionary framing to fight against deregulation efforts and stand up for essential government services.
- Translate technical reports and research into emotionally resonant, persuasive talking points.
- Consult and assess advocacy materials to strengthen positive vision, simplicity of message, and connection. Conduct messaging workshops with coalition leaders and grassroots members.
- Communicate holistic approaches to child care policy by clearly articulating the role of incremental progress as part of a larger, motivating vision of system-building and capacity.
- Create one-pagers, social media, newsletters, templates, toolkits, op-eds, presentations, grassroots actions, and more.
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