Out of their offices and into your child care program

Hosting a Legislator at Your Child Care Center

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The Early Care and Education Consortium is helping state and federal elected officials learn more about high-quality child care programs around the country - programs like yours.

This advocacy effort isn’t about calls and emails, but it is about inviting Members of Congress and state legislators to visit child care programs. Together, we are SHOWING them what high-quality child care is and asking them to take action.

                                    Legislator Visit Toolbox

In this Toolbox, you’ll find everything you need for an easy, fun and successful visit!

The planning guide includes a checklist and details on program selection, scheduling, and ideas for activities during the visit!

           Download your copy of the planning guide here (pdf)

Letters that can be personalized

           Invitation letter (Word)

           Thank you letter for after the visit (Word)

Talking Points about Child Care Policies

           Child Care Development Block Grant (updated June 2010)

           Child and Adult Care Food Program (updated June 2010)

Other Resources

           Sample agendas for visit (Word)

               Follow-up worksheet to send to ECEC (Word)

           Sample press release (Word)

              "THIS is high-quality child care!" Presentation (Power Point)

          Is this your first time inviting a legislator to visit your program?
          Follow along as ECEC Policy Director Mary Beth Salomone
          provides an overview of the campaign as well as helpful tips to
          make your site visit a success! The presentation is approximately
          20 minutes long, and includes audio. Please be sure your
          computer's speakers are on!

          Don't have PowerPoint Viewer? Download it here!

          Exchange Magazine Article: Getting legislators out of the
          statehouse and into your program. (pdf)

Stories and Pictures

Check out the ECEC Photo Album!

"The tours this week were very successful. We were able to demonstrate what early care and education LOOKS like and that definitely left an impression with the Representatives and their staff. It also demonstrated that we are the experts about what young children and their families need when it comes to high-quality child care and how important it is that the correct information is available to our elected officials."

“The visit was extremely positive. It got off to a great start because [we] called [the legislator’s] office prior to the visit to ask what was his favorite book as a child. We got that book for him to read to the children that day. We also got a copy for him to keep in his office that we had all the staff sign. It went over so well that we are going to do that for all our visitors now. It made it so much more personal and I'm sure he'll remember the day he visited the center!”
Have any stories to add? Share them with us! If you participated in the sitevisit campaign, please send us pictures and details so we can share your success with others! There's a follow-up worksheet included in the Campaign Toolbox. Please send material to info@ececonsortium.org  Thank you!

In the News

Kids press Tierney on worms, pets and his job. The Beverly Citizen (MA). September 21, 2009. (Massachusetts Association of Day Care Agencies).

Congresswoman Hirono Visits Quality Preschool Program. (Press Release) Childcare Business Coalition of Hawaii. August 27, 2009.

Bayh aide tours West Clay child care center. The Indianapolis Star. August 18, 2009. (Primrose Schools).

Representatives from Senator Ben Nelson’s Office to Visit Primrose School of Legacy. (Press Release) Primrose Schools. August 5, 2009.

Minnesota Congressman Erik Paulsen to Visit New Horizon Academy In Support of Early Childhood Education. (Media Alert/Photo Opportunity) New Horizon Academy. August 4, 2009.

If you program has a press release, or if the local media covered the visit, please send it to info@ececonsortium.org!