My Role as an Advocate

My motivation for becoming an advocate for very young children comes from my experiences as a young child as well as seeing my Mother advocate for children.  I also work with infants and toddlers on a daily basis so I see firsthand the difference that an advocate can make in their lives.
 
It is essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level because you never know when or if you will need some assistance from others.In order to be an effective advocator, you need to establish contacts and communication with others and the best way to do that is to acknowledge other people's hard work.

In order to be a community leader on early childhood issues, one needs to understand and have knowledge of the issues that are faced by children, families, and all those in the field. They would also need to be good listeners and communicators as well. 

The best resource a state leader on early childhood issues can have is parents, children, and educators.  In order to know what is really needed in this field, a state leader will need to go directly to the source, the people who live and breath in this field.

In order to mobilize others, an advocate needs to be strong willed and determined. They also need to make sure they are well respected by others and also be able to delegate responsibilities.

Personal Advocacy Reflection

My mother was the biggest advocator that I know. I can remember being younger and her bringing children home with her from the day care she worked at all because she felt in her heart that they needed someone to be there for them.  We did not have much to offer but she gave all she could to children who needed her. I remember one little girl in particular. My mom took her in and she practically lived with us. My mom kept her, clothed her, and fed her for  many years until my mother asked the girls mom to give her at least temporary custody. The girl's mother had major health issue which she died from a couple of years ago. I have not seen the young lady since the day her mother took her back. She is now 16 or 17.

After witnessing my mother advocating for young children, I realized how passionate I really am about being an advocate.  Now that my mother is no longer around, I need something to focus my time and attention on and what better than to focus on helping children and families. Advocating, at this point in my career, is very important to me because it makes me feel like I am keeping my mother's memory alive.