Advocacy
At approximately 11:10 AM (CT) today, click to see testimony on Capitol Hill by Head Start Director Rachael DeSpain / Tri-County Opportunities Council!!!
Details here – apply today!
Let’s build 100% awareness with STATE legislators; IHSA goal is 177 agency visits! Plan a VIRTUAL meeting/visit (during COVID mitigations) & then send us information to post. Across the State of Illinois, we have 118 House Reps & 59 Senators. Check out these photos below from prior legislative visits (post-COVID-19). Let’s reach out some more – virtually! Senator Dave Koehler of Dist 46 (above) and Representative Keith Sommer of Dist 88 (below) visited Tazewell-Woodford Head Start for “Give Kids A Smile Day.” That event (put on by the Peoria District Dental Society) provides free dental check-ups to all our Head Start children! Urgent care needs are then referred to dentist for follow-up. ~ also ~ A big thanks to Linda Wang and her team for hosting State Sen. Martinez of Dist. 20 (those photos expected soon)! Meanwhile, check out the great series of smiles at the HANA Early Childhood Center-Chicago http://ow.ly/auGg30qdj9n ~ and ~ Southern 7 Head Start hosted State Rep. Patrick Windhorst (Dist#118). He toured Mounds Early Learning Center, visited Metropolis Head Start (part of Southern Seven Head Start), visited one of the newly opened Early Head Start Classrooms, and read a story to the children. Also he visited other Head Start classrooms, as well recited the Pledge of Allegiance with them! (All three photos below show various Southern 7 Head Start engagement with Rep. Windhorst.) Heartland Head Start hosted two state officials: Rep. Daniel Brady (Dist#105) and Rep. Keith Sommer (Dist#88) not pictured. Look for more over next months showing virtual visits/meetings with STATE LEGISLATORS (& related images via Zoom, etc.) # # # Meanwhile, there is also active Illinois advocacy happening on the FEDERAL level! Heartland HS hosted two elected federal officials: Darren LaHood (Cong. Dist #18) & Rodney Davis (Cong. Dist #13). Educare of West DuPage connected with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (Cong. Dist #08). Riverbend HS’s program in Edwardsville met with Congressman Rodney Davis (Cong. Dist. 13) in September. # # #
Be ready to vote – click HERE for Illinois Guide – then go cast YOUR ballot!
Every Child Deserves an Opportunity to Succeed. We can help make that happen with the Illinois Head Start $2 Per Child Campaign, created to support the advocacy work of Head Start in Illinois and the National Head Start Association. Click to see your donation options today. LOOK here for several fundraising ideas used by your colleagues! Obtain your free Dollar Per Child Toolkit here. It has many fundraising strategies AND might inspire the next great idea! # # #
Get your PARENT AMBASSADOR application started – it’s quick and easy to apply. If you are asking “Who are Parent Ambassadors?” click this link. Now see more below from former IHSA Ambassadors! Review our Parent Ambassador Application questions here. Check out the Parent Ambassador agreement — which is signed by every new PA. It is a great Leadership Program AND a perfect way to connect with YOUR congressional office! Call (or email) us with your Parent Ambassador related questions! So, start your application now – it’s quick and easy – apply today! Click here to read more about the LEADERSHIP of our 2018-2019 Parent Ambassadors! # # #
As we make our way into the weekend for some rest and relaxation I wanted to provide an update on progress made this week with inviting state house members and state senators to our programs. Congratulations to El Valor who had several state representatives visit their program. This helped raise the thermometer to 4%. Visit the IHSA website, State Legislative Visit Tracker, to see pictures. Illinois is planning to grow a universal prekindergarten program and services to infants toddlers. How will Head Start/Early Head Start fit into this new environment? One thing we know for sure is that our state representatives don’t understand who we are and the work we do. We all have a role to play to help our state representatives know and understand the great work you are doing for children and families. Do you think 4% is a good number? Remember we have 118 House Representatives and 59 Senators. Over the last three weeks I know I have been pushy, trying to get these visits completed. I hope you are still thinking about this and making plans. Please know that I love Head Start/Early Head Start. I believe fully in the Head Start mission! I want to remind us that “a little progress each day adds up to BIG results”. We need to push ourselves because no one is going to do this for us. Please let me know if you need any help! I will drive to you and support you with this effort. Just ask me! We can do this! Thank You! Take care, Lauri Steps to Action: (resources can be found on the IHSA Website) Step 1. Invite your state house member and state senator member to visit your program. Not sure who they are? Go to the IHSA website, Find My State and Federal Representatives. Select find my “state and federal representative”. Enter your address, push “find my address”. Then push okay and then confirm. You will have the name of your state senator and state house member, their phone number and email address. You will need to send out two invites, one for your State Senator and one for your State House Member. Personalize the sample letter and send to their respective email address or by snail mail to the address provided. Don’t give up if they don’t reply, sometimes I need to contact them three times before they reply. Be persistent because it’s important! Step 2: Plan the program visit and activities that will leave a lasting, positive impression. Use the sample visit plan to get started! Wondering, what to do while they are onsite? While your elected official is on-site, you can take them on a tour of the facility, have them read to the children, and hear from community partners. Step 3: Use the press advisory template to invite your local newspaper and TV stations to cover this special occasion. Be sure to personalize the advisory. Step 4: Thank your member and all who accompanied him or her. Use the “two Ps” to say thank you: Post pictures from the visit on social media and tag your members to thank them. Personally thank them using this letter template. There YOU have it – everything you need! I would love to help you do any of these steps. Just reach out and let me know what else you need! We can do the leg work and support you. What’s important is that we do this! We are tracking visits so we can gauge how we are doing. So send me an email to let me know your progress. For the next three weeks I will send out, on Friday afternoons, an email to let you know the progress we are making across the state. Head Start depends upon increased AWARENESS! Schedule your State Legislators to come in and visit your programs as soon as possible.
It’s time to #UniteforHeadStart. Use this Social Media Press Kit to quickly post-post-post in support of Head Start of Illinois! Right NOW and for next couple of days our own Head Start colleagues from Illinois are rallying in Wash., D.C. for #HeadStart funding. Funding provides essential services for hundreds of thousands of children (birth to age five). HELP them by showing YOUR support today. Just use the toolkit link (provided above) and send your message TODAY! Find your congressional representation out there on the Hill and post-post-post away! #UniteForHeadStart Do it for all the children and families who truly need Head Start. Do it because it’s a GREAT cause – it doesn’t take much time. Thank you!!!
08-27-19 TAKE ACTION – click to send quick message urging Sens. Durbin & Duckworth to “Fund Head Start for Fiscal Year 2020!” ###
IHSA asks for YOUR quick action to “sign on” to NHSA’s Comments on the Federal Poverty Measure It’s quick and easy, just go directly to http://ow.ly/N7bw30oY4GF and to read more, click this next link – http://ow.ly/irj330oY4qO .. much thanks in advance!!!
