Advocacy Links

Each issue of CounciLINK features an advocacy resource for information and tools that can help us improve our effectiveness in convincing the public and policy-makers about the importance of supporting educational services for children and families. This month’s link is to NACCRRA.

The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), a network of more than 800 resource and referral centers, helps families, child care providers, and communities find, provide and plan for affordable, quality child care. The following link takes you directly to the Public Policy section of their website http://www.naccrra.org/policy/. On the left hand column of the page you can select from numerous topics. The “Key Legislation Before Congress” section not only summarizes pending federal legislation but also presents NACCRRA’s recommendations enabling you to compare these with the recommendations of other associations. The “Background Issues” section presents talking points and facts to assist readers in preparing their own presentations on a variety of topics including Why Quality Care Matters, Working Mothers Need Child Care, the Child Care Workforce, and After-School Care to name a few. Scrolling on down you’ll find a section on “Federal Legislative Terms” and sections listing the current members of Senate and House Committees as well as State Governors.

While visiting NACCRRA’s website also check out their “Research and Data” section: http://www.naccrra.org/randd/. Here you can access volumes of facts about children, families, and child care for each state. In another section you can view enrollment in Head Start and State-funded Pre-K programs by state, and yet another section presents child care supply and cost data by state.