Dear Child Care Program Staff and Administrators:

 

Have you ever wondered why our state makes the financial decisions it does?  When it comes to our money, our time, and most importantly our children, we need to ask questions.  Moreover, we need to inform our local, state and national leaders of the important work we do as early childhood caregivers and educators.  The week of April 21, 2008 is a good time to make that happen.

 

You will find attached documents that you can use to share the message that “Quality Child Care Lasts a Lifetime”.  Use the materials with parents and the children in your program as activities to raise awareness.  Parents can use the badges to wear to work, letting their employer know how much they need the care you provide in order to be at work and be productive.  The children can decorate the handprints or posters, either with you or their parents and Oakland 4C will collect and deliver those finished pages to your program’s state legislator. 

 

You also have the opportunity to meet with your legislators at a special gathering on Wednesday, April 30 at the state capital.  Staff from the Oakland 4C office and the Michigan 4C Association will be organizing meetings with state legislators throughout the day to share information on what quality child care looks like, and what providers and parents need to achieve it.  Your struggles and stories are so important to share, and this is your forum to do so. 

 

Can’t make it to Lansing on April 30^th?  Then perhaps you would take a moment to write a letter (see attached draft) telling your local legislators how what you do impacts families, the economy and your community.  It’s a fact that citizens who express their needs are a more powerful tool to making change that any organization.  You put those folks in office, and they want to hear from YOU what is working and what isn’t. 

 

Not sure who your state representatives are?  View a copy of A Citizen’s Guide to State Government at http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/publications/citizensguide.pdf.  You will find who represents you by geographic area.  This publication also gives handy tips on how to communicate with your legislator, and how state government works. 

 

Whatever action you take, whether it’s participating in the handprint activity, asking parents to talk with their employer, writing a letter, or attending the meetings in Lansing on April 30^th,  please remember that our children have no voice and cannot vote- if we don’t speak up for their quality child care, who will?

 

If you would like to visit Lansing on April 30^th, arrange to have the handprint/poster activity picked up from your location, or have any other questions or comments, please feel free to contact me directly at

248-333-9545, x 109.   Together, we can make a difference!

 

Yours in Quality Care,

 

Susan Allen, Executive Director

Oakland County Child Care Council

550 Hulet Drive, Suite 101

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302