Child Care WORKS

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Child Care WORKS our District Coordinator
Network Project
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Child Care WORKS is a statewide Coalition of

• Individuals
• Parents
• Child Care Providers (centers family child
  care)
• Early Childhood Development Organizations
• Child-advocacy Organizations
• Faith-based Groups
• Anti-Poverty Organizations
• Anyone Interested in Child Care Public Policy!

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Child Care WORKS Efforts

• Develop a legislative agenda
• Coordinate child care efforts at the Capitol
  among the grassroots
• Keep community informed about child care issues
  and legislation
• District Coordinator Network Project Currently
  there are 32 DCs around the state
• CARE Fellowship (Child Care Advocates Ready to
  Emerge) Trains practitioners on how to be
  effective child care advocates

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Who are Child Care WORKS (CCW) District
Coordinators?

• You are! If you care about child care issues and
  want to be involved in an effective, coordinated
  advocacy effort, you should consider becoming a
  CCW District Coordinator in your community.
• District Coordinators are child care providers,
  center directors, early childhood teachers
  trainers, Resource and Referral staff, and from
  other early childhood organizations.
• The goal To have 67 District Coordinators (one
  for each Minnesota Senate district)!

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What does a CCW District Coordinator do?

• Build a relationship with your legislators by
  emailing, calling, and meeting with them
• Stay in touch with the CCW Organizer, and be a
  liaison between CCW and your legislators
• Gradually create a small advocacy network (3-5
  people) of your friends, relatives, neighbors,
  colleagues anyone that you know who cares about
  young children and would take on small tasks when
  you asked them to (such as emailing or making a
  phone call to a legislator)

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DCs have Five Points of Contact with their
legislators each year

• 1. Send an Introductory Letter to your
  Legislators when you first become a DC and before
  each Legislative Session thereafter
• 2. A First Visit with Your Legislators
• 3. Contact your Legislators to discuss the Child
  Care WORKS Legislative Agenda
• 4. Contact your Legislators in their districts
  while they are on Spring Break
• 5. Contact your Legislators after the session is
  over to review the session and give feedback

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Other opportunities for District Coordinators

• Help coordinate meetings with your legislators
• Write Letters to the Editor
• Attend community forums as a child care voice
• Be a voice in your community for child care
  issues
• Be a resource for people within your community
  (and network)

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Benefits of being a CCW District Coordinator

• Work to positively impact the lives of Minnesota
  families and children
• Receive information early and often! on child
  care public policy issues
• Build your skills through workshops on the
  legislative process, advocacy, working with the
  media, and more
• Participate in child care policy discussions and
  help prioritize CCWs legislative agenda
• Be recognized for your work as a CCW District
  Coordinator in your community and at CCWs
  Biennial Convention

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District Coordinator should meet the following
basic criteria

• Be or become a member of Child Care WORKS
• Support CCWs mission, goals and legislative
  agendas
• Have connections with a larger network or group
  that cares about young children (i.e. a child
  care program, a faith community, a neighborhood
  group, etc.)
• Have skills or be willing to learn how to
  effectively communicate and build a relationship
  with legislators

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DC Basic Criteria continued

• Be able to devote about 5 hours per month to the
  coordination of your advocacy network
• Willing to attend CCWs Biennial Conference
• Willing to attend one training session per year
  for District Coordinators
• Be or become a registered voter

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Not Interested in Becoming a DC But Still Want to
Take Part? Become a Network Member!

• Network Members work with the District
  Coordinator
• Help respond to CCW Action Alerts and participate
  in district events such as meeting with state
  legislators.

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Network Members Should

• Be or become an individual member of Child Care
  WORKS
• Support CCWs mission, goals and legislative
  agendas
• Have skills or be willing to learn how to
  effectively communicate with legislators
• Willing and interested in building a relationship
  with your state legislators
• Be or become a registered voter

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The Next Step to Becoming a District Coordinator
or Network Member

• Contact Jess or Amber
• at [phone] or
• jluce_at_childcareworks.org
• amber_at_childcareworks.org
• Child Care WORKS
• 212 2nd Street SE
• Suite 116
• Minneapolis, MN 55414
• www.childcareworks.org