Stronger Together - Building Power for Child Care Advocacy

Poster Session and Display Across the country, from New Mexico, to Kentucky, to New York, exciting changes are taking place in many states' child care systems. Often, these changes are the result of years of organizing, advocacy, and building power among child care providers, early childhood professionals, parents/caregivers, and concerned community members. In Montana, a growing number of early childhood professionals are connecting with each other and taking action to call on policymakers to build a child care system that works -- for communities, ECE professionals, parents/caregivers, and most of all, for children. This poster documents some of the ways that Montana Advocates for Children, the statewide child care policy coalition, is helping providers connect, get organized, and speak up, together. Viewers/participants will be able to:  - describe challenges related to effective child care advocacy - explain the importance of person-to-person connection for building collective power - identify ways to engage in advocacy, locally or at the state level