The Sandbox: The Power of Collective Advocacy
In Montgomery County, our children’s futures are shaped not only by what happens in their classrooms, but by the decisions made in our community – at County Council hearings, in public forums, and through the advocacy and engagement of parents, educators, and community members.
Advocacy, at its core, is about ensuring the voices of the people closest to the issues are heard and included when decisions are made. It’s about showing up, sharing lived experiences, and helping decision-makers see the human impact behind policy and budget decisions. Advocacy efforts sometimes take the form of large-scale campaigns, but they’re often driven by the actions of small groups of dedicated community members who rally around a shared goal.
A Nationwide Movement
Communities that have transformed their early care and education (ECE) systems didn’t do it quietly. They did it through advocacy. They brought together people from every corner of society to speak up about what families need and why ECE is so critical.
This type of advocacy has changed ECE systems in cities across the nation. In these areas, coalitions of advocates have shaped real change for families of small children through coordinated and targeted efforts. Three examples that illustrate the power of collective advocacy include:
MomsRising is a national grassroots organization that advocates for policies that support women, mothers, and families around issues such as paid leave, affordable child care, fair wages, and accessible healthcare. Their on-the-ground and online advocacy led to a major win: 12 weeks of paid parental leave for approximately two million federal workers through the National Defense Authorization Act.
Chamber of Mothers is a national nonprofit born from a viral moment after Congress cut paid family leave from the Build Back Better legislation. The organization leverages the collective economic and voting power of American mothers to drive family-friendly policy changes, including advocating for paid leave, affordable child care, and improved maternal health policies. In Phoenix, a local chapter rallied members to contact and testify before legislative committees, helping to pass a state maternal mental health bill.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation champions early care and education as essential to a strong workforce. Their research and policy work have helped shift national attention toward ECE as a critical economic issue, especially post-pandemic.
The examples are hard-fought policy wins. Conversations around changing systems always generate diverse perspectives and opinions – and this is exactly what Montgomery County needs. This diversity of thought offers decision-makers a more complete understanding of the problem and makes it more likely that policy change and funding decisions will meet the wider needs of the community.
Advocacy in Action in Montgomery County
Over the summer, more than 40 individuals attended a County Council hearing to speak up about proposed legislative changes that directly impact our ECE system. We want to thank the parents, educators, and community leaders who testified about the challenges of navigating the system as it currently exists and the role that the Children’s Opportunity Alliance can and should play in the system. Their words made an impact. The stories and perspectives shared during the public hearing helped to inform the conversation held at the joint Health and Human Services and Education and Culture committee work session in late July.
Here's what we heard from community members during this summer’s public hearing:
Anabela Rodas – Latino Child Care Association of Maryland
“[The Alliance] has made a meaningful impact…It has helped establish a Common Agenda, ensured goals for the County, built authentic partnerships…and ensured greater transparency and inclusion by placing educators, especially family child care providers, at the decision-making table.”Arianna Ross – Story Tapestries
“[The Alliance] is not duplicative, they are unique…Montgomery County is 100% failing to meet the Blueprint, and we will continue to fail if we take away the privileges that the Alliance has to be nimble, strategic, and innovative.”Leon Diagne – Parent Testimony
“Once we had two kids under 5, we were paying close to $50,000 a year for child care so that my wife and I could go to work. It doesn’t matter where the money comes from or if it flows through MCPS, DHHS, or [the Alliance]. We just know that we need help.”View the packet or watch the recording here.
Thanks to the testimonies shared over the summer, the Alliance has built a strong foundation for ongoing negotiations and conversations with the Department of Health and Human Services, County Council, and other key stakeholders. We are working to clarify parts of our enacting legislation to inform the implementation of our duties, and we aim to reach new terms by the end of the year. There will be another joint committee session to discuss ECE on October 16.
Right now, Montgomery County is also shaping next year’s budget. The County Executive is hosting a series of community conversations about next year’s budget through mid-November, and these forums are one of the most direct and impactful ways to make your voice heard.
Learn more and find a forum near you.
Get advocacy tips and contact info for local officials.
This is the time to share your story. Join us in speaking up about early childhood issues in Montgomery County.