Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children

“We recommit ourselves to achieving racial equity in early childhood and school-age programs through advocacy, action, and policy change. Together we will stand up, speak out, and work to dismantle the historical systems of racism and inequity.”

These are the last two lines in our Collective Statement on Racial Justice that over thirty organizations signed on to in June 2020.

As we reflect on the horrific events this week – a violent assault on our democracy – we must redouble our efforts to work for the change we want to see in local communities, in Massachusetts, and across our country. 

NAEYC has resources on trauma, stress, and violence for early childhood educators working to support children in many different settings along with the guidance in NAEYC’s Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education position statement to support your conversations with them, as well as families and colleagues. If you need more resources or would like to sign your organization on to our Collective Statement, email us.

Despite the trauma of this week, democracy continues.

This week the 117^th U.S. Congress was officially sworn in on Sunday, January 3, including the delegation from Massachusetts.

Due to the pandemic extending the state political calendar, this week also marked the end of the 2019–2020 Legislative Session in Massachusetts on Tuesday, January 5 and the start of the 2021–2022 Legislative Session on January 6.

State legislators were sworn in during ceremonies in-person outside the State House and virtually – including 2 new State Senators and 17 State Representatives. In days prior, our state budget was finalized. Be sure to read our FY21 budget recap: A historic investment in early education and care.

Now is the time to commit to developing a relationship with your elected officials. 

Visit the Secretary of State’s Where Do I Vote web page to see who represents you at the State House and in Washington, D.C.

You can learn more about your legislators here.

Stay tuned to sign up for a Strategies for Children webinar to learn more about what you can do as the new sessions start in Congress and in Massachusetts.

In conclusion, our thoughts are with elected and appointed officials and their staff at the U.S. Capitol and in state houses and city and town halls across our country. They are our partners in advocacy, who work every day for a better, more equitable nation for our children and families. As our colleague Josh Delaney, deputy legislative director for U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, states in a Globe Op-Ed, “We are resilient. We will heal from this trauma together. We will get back to the quiet, important work of the nation. We will keep marching forward. But for now, it’s OK to acknowledge that no, we are not OK.”