Advocacy Priorities

Like all children, children most at risk need certain kinds of interaction and care to stimulate their healthy growth and development. Our advocacy priorities, based on core principles, are intended to be a comprehensive policy agenda that secures what children at risk need in the first five years of life to be successful in school and beyond.

Mindful of the economic restraints currently facing our state, we want to be part of the long-term solution by ensuring public dollars are invested wisely in effective, accountable services.

Our long-term administrative and legislative policy priorities over the next ten years include the following specific examples:


      • Strengthen the system that educates parents and caregivers on supporting the development of children in their care.
            • Establish an infant toddler credential.
            • Implement statewide coaching and mental health consultation.
            • Secure necessary data and evaluation components to ensure accountability of public funds.

      • Ensure that the child care subsidy reaches children whose family income qualifies them as "at-risk". (Reinstate eligibility at 185% fpl, or $40,793 for a family of four.)

      • Ensure that public dollars spent on the child care subsidy purchase effective, accountable care.

      • Improve the quality of child care licensing standards.

      • Fully fund Sixpence (Early Childhood Endowment) to serve all at-risk 0-3 year olds.

      • Fully fund the Early Childhood Education Grant Program to serve all at-risk 3 and 4 year olds.

      • Fully fund Medicaid to serve all at-risk 0-5 year olds, with a particular focus on preventative and prenatal care.
            • Reinstate presumptive eligibility.
            • Secure access to mental health services.