Child Advocacy
The Center for Advocacy and Outreach is a statewide resource for education and information regarding children's issues. We work to mobilize citizens to advocate on behalf of children. Working with legislators and developing a grassroots network, we seek to give children a voice in the voting process.
What is Advocacy?
- Speaking up
- Promoting the cause of another
- Seeing a need and finding a way to address it
- Not just complaining - but finding solutions
Types of Advocacy
- Self-Advocacy: Speaking up for ourselves and our family (e.g. talking to your child's teacher about a specific playground incident).
- Case Advocacy: Helping someone deal with a complicated organization (e.g. helping a new neighbor enroll a child in school).
- Public Education Advocacy: Making a presentation about an issue you care about (e.g. talking to groups about injury prevention).
- Public Policy Advocacy: Anything done to influence a public official's vote or opinion (e.g. visiting with a legislator about upgrading child passenger safety laws).
- Private Policy Advocacy: Anything done to influence or change a corporation's or other private institution's policy or behavior (e.g. promoting a letter-writing campaign asking restaurants to become smoke-free).