Policy and Advocacy CoP
Meetings & Events
DEC Early Intervention and Policy & Advocacy Communities of Practice Joint Meeting (Part 2)
Thursday, March 28th, 2024, 3:30 - 4:30 PM Eastern Time - Register here.
Join fellow EI colleagues for an open forum focusing on advocacy. We will further discuss topics and issues brought forward in our December meeting, including providing space and time for considering complex advocacy issues such as mental health, retention of EI practitioners, and equity in EI. Participants will have the opportunity to meaningfully network with others in the EI field who share similar passions in the advocacy arena.
2023
Community Deep-Dive Conversation: Do's and Don'ts of Advocacy
Wednesday, November 1, 2023, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Eastern Time Register here.
Join us for a community conversation focused diving deep into a resource and sharing ideas, questions, and other resources. This session’s featured resource is the DEC Policy & Advocacy’s Do’s and Don’ts of Advocacy.
Community Conversation: Open Discussion Forum
Wednesday, September 6, 2023, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Eastern Time Register here.
Join us for a community conversation that is focused on you, the CoP members. This event will be an open discussion format, where our purpose will be connecting with each other and developing our community through engaging in discussions with each other focused on policy and advocacy topics relevant to you in your day-to-day practice (e.g. local or state level).
What’s Happening in Washington DC
Wednesday, March 29, 2023, 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM Eastern Time Download the recording and handout.
Facilitated by Sharon Walsh, DEC's Governmental Relations Consultant, V. James Young, DEC Policy & Advocacy Committee Member & Laura McCarty, PA CoP Co-Facilitator
Join the Policy & Advocacy Community of Practice this month to discuss the 118th Congress, its leadership, activities, and future direction. Topics to be addressed include updates on federal funding including the President’s Budget request for 2024 and any bills already introduced in the 118th Congress. The focus of this conversation will be on implications for initiatives related to families, children with disabilities, Head Start, childcare, and other early learning and education priorities. Come prepared with your advocacy hat on and plan to leave the session with ways to stay involved in this important work.
It’s All About Relationships
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM Eastern Time Download the recording and handout.
Facilitated by Michael Ferguson, Assistant Professor, Goodwin University, East Hartford, CTThis conversation will emphasize the importance of state and local government and how to become involved in the political process. Focus will be placed on how we can establish relationships with state and local officials, the ability to bring issues to the forefront, and the various ways to advocate for causes of importance to us. Come prepared to share the ways you’ve made connections with state and local officials and your advocacy efforts to better support young children with disabilities and their families.
A New Year and a New U.S. Congress
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM Eastern Time
Download the recording.
Facilitated by Kuna Tavalin, CEC’s Senior Policy and Advocacy AdvisorThis conversation will provide guidance on establishing meaningful relationships with your U.S. Senators and Representative regardless of whether they are new to their position or have been there for years. Talk with colleagues about the ways they have connected and advocated for issues important to all of us, share experiences, discuss concerns, and ask questions about the best ways to support policy change for young children with disabilities and their families.
What’s Happening in Washington, DC: What You Can Do to Support Children and Families
Wednesday, December 7th, 2022, 5:00 - 6:15 PM Eastern Time Download the recording and handouts.
Presented by Sharon Walsh, DEC's Governmental Relations Consultant
Join us as we discuss the activities completed in the last session of the 117th Congress and what we already know about the election results and the leadership and plans for the 118th Congress. Topics to be addressed include updates on federal funding for the current year, and on provisions to be included in any bills working their way through the lame duck session of the 117th Congress. Implications for initiatives related to families, children with disabilities, Head Start, child care and other early learning and education priorities will be the focus of the session. Please come prepared with your advocacy hat on and your advocacy voice ready! Plan to leave the session with ways to stay involved in this important work!
Community of Practice Conversation: Policy Basics and Getting Ready for Elections
Tuesday, November 1st, 2022, 5:00 - 6:00 PM Eastern Time Download the recording.
During this monthly conversation, the Policy and Advocacy Community of Practice will have a chance to learn more about legislative and executive branch decision-making processes, and how upcoming elections serve as an excellent opportunity for advocacy. Join us for an overview and discussion as you prepare for election day!
DEC & SELS: How to Engage in Advocacy at SELS or From Home
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022, 4:00 - 5:00 PM Eastern Time Download the recording.
Presented by Nate Marsden & Kris Pedersen, Members of the Policy and Advocacy Committee
Whether you are going to the Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS) 2022 or not, join us to talk about what to expect from the experience and what you can do from home to engage in legislative advocacy at the state & federal level.
What’s Happening in Washington, DC and How Can I Be Involved?
Wednesday, July 6th, 2022, 4:00 - 5:15 PM Eastern Time Download the recording and handout.
Presented by Sharon Walsh, DEC's Governmental Relations Consultant and Kris Pedersen, DEC Advocacy Lead from the Policy and Advocacy Committee
The November 2022 midterm election is fast approaching! Join us as we discuss current priorities and timelines for the remainder of the 117th Congress.
Topics to be addressed include updates on federal funding for the current year, the President’s Budget for the upcoming FFY 2023, progress toward passage of early childhood legislation including IDEA, Home Visiting, child care, Pre-K and Head Start including implications for these initiatives related to young children with disabilities and their families.
Please come prepared with your advocacy hat on and your advocacy voice ready! Plan to leave the session with ways to stay involved in this important work!
DEC & SELS Follow-up: Taking It Back Home
Wednesday, July 27th, 2022, 4:00 - 5:00 PM Eastern Time Download the recording.
Presented by Amanda Schwartz, Nate Marsden, James Young & Kristin Duncan, Members of the Policy and Advocacy Committee
Join us to hear from state teams about their Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS) 2022 experience and what we can all do next to keep this work going.
Current Hot Policy Topics and Resources for Advocating Download the recording.
Wednesday, February 23, 2022 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Eastern Time
Championing the Issues of the Early Education Workforce Download the recording.
Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Eastern
Deep Dive: Advocacy and Social Media Download the recording.
Wednesday, April 2022, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Eastern
The Policy and Advocacy Community of Practice (PA CoP) brings together a national network of individuals who are committed to deepening their knowledge of and engagement in public policies that affect young children (0-8) with disabilities and other special needs and their families. Community members have a passion for and understand that advocacy is a powerful mechanism for proactively influencing the policy process. The community
provides a space where members share information about state/local public policy issues and engage with supportive peers to identify advocacy-based solutions.
