By
Ecential Team
February 16, 2026
•
Updated:
February 16, 2026
•
5 min read
By Jaime Rechkemmer
Aim4Impact Consulting, LLC
Proud advocate and association member
If you work in early childhood education, you are already an advocate—whether you put that word on your business card or not. Every staffing decision, tuition conversation, enrollment waitlist, and quality compromise you’ve ever wrestled with lives inside a system shaped by policy. Advocacy isn’t something extra we do when we magically have time. It’s how we protect the work, the people, and the future of early care and education.
I’ve written for the Ecential community before, and one thing I know about this audience is this: you care deeply. You’re thoughtful. You’re tired. You’re resourceful. And you’re probably reading this between meetings, ratios, and one more “quick question” that wasn’t quick at all.
Here’s the good news—advocacy does not require a megaphone, a political science degree, or suddenly becoming someone you’re not. You don’t need to be louder, tougher, or more polished. You just need to be intentional, consistent, and willing to tell the truth about what it actually takes to do this work well.
If you’ve ever thought:
• Someone should really fix this
• Why does it feel like no one understands how fragile this is?
• We can’t keep absorbing the gap and pretending we’re fine
You’re right. And you’re already closer to advocacy than you think.
Advocacy is why child care stabilization grants existed at all.
It’s why workforce supplements showed up in some states.
It’s why mixed-delivery pre-K is even part of the national conversation instead of an afterthought.
Policy makers don’t wake up thinking about child care. (If they did, ratios would be different and coffee would be provided.) They respond to people who show up with clarity, credibility, and lived experience—and who do it more than once.
The most effective advocates in early childhood aren’t the loudest. They’re the most consistent. They understand that small actions, done steadily, shift how decisions get made.
1. Know who represents you.
Find your state legislator, city council member, or school board representative. Save their name in your phone. That alone puts you ahead of most people.
2. Tell one true story.
One paragraph. One example. One moment from your program. Stories turn systems into something human and memorable.
3. Show up once.
Attend one town hall, committee meeting, or listening session this year. You don’t have to say the perfect thing. Being there counts.
4. Align with an association.
You don’t have to do this alone—and you shouldn’t. Associations amplify your voice and save you time.
National Child Care Association: https://www.nationalchildcare.org/
5. Talk to one peer.
Advocacy spreads the same way good practice does: peer to peer. Invite one colleague into the conversation.
Now let’s talk about what to advocate for.
This is not a staffing problem. It’s a math problem. Programs are being asked to operate like professional learning environments while compensating staff like entry-level retail. The result is predictable: turnover, burnout, and closures—often among the programs doing things right.
What advocacy looks like in practice:
"Last year, I lost two incredible teachers—not because they didn’t love the work, but because they couldn’t afford to stay. We didn’t lose passion. We lost people to math."
"Any workforce strategy that doesn’t include child care wages and benefits is incomplete. Parents can’t work if we can’t staff classrooms."
That’s not complaining. That’s evidence.
The gap no tuition increase can close. High-quality child care costs far more to deliver than tuition alone can cover—especially when you factor in ratios, qualified staff, compliance, and facilities.
"Even at full enrollment, our margins are razor thin. When quality goes up, costs go up—and without public investment, providers shoulder all the risk."
Organizations like the National Child Care Association help turn provider stories into real policy solutions:
https://www.nationalchildcare.org/
Public pre-K expansion is accelerating nationwide. Advocacy ensures providers help shape it—not just absorb the fallout.
"Mixed-delivery models work best when they build on existing providers instead of replacing them."
If advocacy feels overwhelming, this is where it becomes doable.
Learn more about the conference here:
https://necpa.net/conference
Register directly here:
https://whova.com/portal/registration/cIkdhVVO6UqiuinTXGLG/
You attend to gain language, confidence, and connection.
You leave feeling less alone—and more prepared.
Advocacy isn’t a moment. It’s a posture.
Share one story. Show up once. Invite one colleague along.
Buy 2 tickets, get 1 50% off
Code: DISCOUNT-50 (use once)
Conference info and registration:
https://necpa.net/conference
https://whova.com/portal/registration/cIkdhVVO6UqiuinTXGLG/
Early educators are advocates with heart and soul.
You don’t need to be louder.
You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to show up.
And that is more than enough to shape the future of early childhood education.