Network Resources: Peer Mentoring Network: Advocacy: Site Staff Advocacy

Peer Mentoring Network

Innovative Strategies

Regional Resource Centers

Quality Assurance/ Credentialing

Training

State Systems

Funding

Events

• Mentors
• Guiding Questions
• Additional Resources

Mentors

Sarita Rogers
MA Children's Trust Fund
294 Washington St., Suite 640
Boston, MA 02108
617-727-8957
617-727-8997
Email: srogers@mctf.state.ma.us

Gaylord Gieseke
Voices of Illinois Children
208 S. LaSalle St., Suite 1490
Chicago, IL 60604-1103
312-516-5565
312-465-0088
Email: ggieseke@voices4kids.org

Guiding Questions

1) Do you see staff as a valuable advocacy resource?

2) Do you keep staff informed and updated on program/funding issues?

3) Do you encourage staff to write and call on issues such as early childhood, prevention, home visitation and other areas of impact?

4) Are opportunities provided for staff to be part of an advocacy committee, to mentor parents interested in being advocates? Are staff encouraged to register to vote?

Additional Resources

For an easy how-to-lobby tutorial and ways to use staff time effectively ("Make a Difference for Your Cause in Three Hours per Week"), click here.

Head Start is well known for including staff and parents as advocates. Check out their sample letters, advocacy toolkit and legislative guide, all written for the novice advocate.

• Voter Lobbying Guide
• other Head Start advocacy guides