Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children

Here’s an advocacy message from Amy O’Leary about the new legislative session.

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Happy New Year! Are you ready to take action? 
We need each and every voice delivering the same, clear message to our elected officials at the local, state, and national level. We need to prioritize young children and families and the early education and care workforce. We must work together to make our voices heard.

Below you will find some key dates and ways to take action RIGHT NOW. Please share this information. Make a plan to get things done by the end of January. Don’t wait for someone else to do it. Even if you have done this before, you need to do it again. YOU can do it. Our children are counting on us. We are happy to help. Contact us for more information.

FIRST, make sure you know who represents you in Washington and in the Massachusetts State House. Click here and enter your home address on the form and click the “Show my results” button. Print out these results so that you will have a list of your elected officials.

Federal Level
Members of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives were sworn in on Thursday, January 3, 2019, in Washington DC kicking off the 116^th United States Congress.

What you can do right now: 

• Make sure you know who represents you in Congress.
• Send a message of congratulations to your U.S. Representative and to U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Senator Ed Markey. The best option is a letter, a hand written note, or children’s artwork.
• Offer to be a resource for early education and care in the district.
• Include an invitation to come for visit to your program.

State Level
On Wednesday, January 2, 2019, the 2019-2020 Massachusetts Legislative Session started as 200 state legislators were sworn in at the State House in Boston.

Governor Charlie Baker was sworn in for his second term as governor on Thursday, January 3, 2019. You can read his inaugural address here.

On Wednesday, January 23, 2019, Governor Baker will release his state budget recommendations for FY20. Be sure to visit Strategies for Children’s state budget webpage for the latest news and advocacy opportunities.

What you can do right now:

• Call Governor Baker’s office at 617.725.4005 and ask him to increase investments in early education in his FY20 budget recommendations.
• Make sure you know who represents you at the State House.
• Send a message of congratulations to Governor Baker, your state representative, and state senator – send a letter, hand written note, or children’s artwork.
• Offer to be a resource for early education and care in the district.
• Include an invitation to come visit your program.

Local Level
In Massachusetts, each city and town is structured according to local rules and regulations. Some communities have a mayor or a board of selectmen/women, and some have a town manager. And, while most cities have mayors and city councilors, not all do. In total, the commonwealth has 39 cities and 312 towns in 14 counties. Click here for more information on local government.

In addition, leaders in many communities across Massachusetts are coming together to make local plans to support young children, birth through age five. Click here to learn about our Community Readiness initiative.

What you can do right now:

• Confirm the leadership and governance structure in your community.
• Send a message to your local elected officials about the importance of early education – send a letter, hand written note, or children’s artwork.
• Offer to be a resource for early education and care in your community.
• Include an invitation to visit your program.

If we are to maintain our reputation as “the education state,” we must close the opportunity gap and ensure that all children, regardless of their family’s means or the neighborhood they grow up in, enter school on a path for success. We must continue to build upon recent progress in Massachusetts by prioritizing policies and effective investments that result in positive outcomes for children. We must be bold.

We look forward to working with members of Congress, the Baker-Polito Administration, the Massachusetts State Legislature, Mayors, City Councils, School Committee Members, and YOU to ensure that children get the strong start they deserve.

Onward!

Amy O’Leary, Director
Early Education for All Campaign
Strategies for Children