Advocating for Children

Was 4C’s Policy Action Alert Politically Charged?

April 25, 2011 at 7:40 pm 4cforchildren Leave a comment

Last week 4C sent a policy action alert to 30,000 parents, child care providers and supporters. We frequently send such alerts when policy and funding are being determined by legislators at the state and national level. Part of our mission,

to improve the quality, effectiveness and accessibility of early childhood education and care

in the region so every child has a positive experience

and a foundation for success in school and life,

can only be accomplished by improving or maintaining the systems and policies that impact children and families.

Thus, 4C considers advocacy as a key strategy to accomplishing its mission.

The email we sent last week alerted people to the Ohio Governor’s proposed budget for child care and early education. We spelled out the good news (relatively modest cuts in key services and proposals for reform) and the things to watch. And we asked our constituents to contact their state senator and representative to “let them know you support investing in early education and care.”

So, I was surprised to receive an email from a parent who felt the alert was “very politically charged.”  She indicated that the message went “far beyond what a non-profit organization should communicate. I am very disappointed,” she stated, “ that you still consider yourself as ‘non-profit’.”  She asked how we could justify this action. I’m interested to know what you think.

One of the key roles of 4C is to speak loudly on behalf of children and families, advocating for government policies which support the highest quality of child care and early learning.  Such policies often have to do with regulations or funding.  We have sent such action alerts where appropriate whether leadership is a Republican or Democratic administration. We are firmly and staunchly non-partisan in our actions.

As I re-read the Policy Alert to determine if we crossed a line in our approach, it seems fair in that we spoke of both cuts and programs where the Governor is proposing to hold the line, and we spoke of much-needed reforms that the Governor is supporting.  We have sent similar alerts regarding proposed funding cuts in Democratic administrations and Republican administrations. We feel it is appropriate, and aligns with our mission to ask those interested in early childhood education to contact their legislators to “Let them know you support investing in early education and care.”

Recently the accounting firm Barnes Dennig  issued a newsletter with the lead article titled Lobbying and the Law: Debunking the Great Misconception.  The article states, “Truth is, a charity that doesn’t spend at least some of its time in advocacy work – whether that’s pushing for more art in the classrooms or advocating for the mentally ill – is probably not doing its job.”

We agree.

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