Federal Advocacy

Ask Your Member of Congress to Support $16 billion in additional ECE funding

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Ask Your Member of Congress to Support $16 billion in additional ECE funding 〰️

Current Bills & Actions

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Biden Administration Requests Additional, Supplemental Funding for Child Care

On Monday 10/30/2023 the Biden Administration announced its domestic supplemental budget request to Congress, which included $16 billion in additional funding to stabilize the child care sector following the expiration of child care stabilization funding at the end of September. 

NAEYC applauds the Administration's prioritization of child care in its request, as well as the early educators and advocates who have spent countless hours sharing their stories and advocating on behalf of the families, communities and young children they serve. Now it is time for Congress to take action by swiftly passing a budget deal with robust funding for child care and early learning programs, including the President's supplemental request for stabilization. Take action today to urge your Members of Congress to #SaveChildCare.

Dear Members, Partners, and Early Childhood Education Community, 

On Friday (April 21, 2023) we were made aware of the forced resignation of Dr. Barbara Cooper, Alabama Secretary of Early Childhood Education, over the use of NAEYC's Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) Book as a training tool for educators. A book which is foundational to our work in early childhood education.   

"Developmentally Appropriate Practice has been around for nearly four decades, and in partnership with hundreds of thousands of families and educators, has served as the foundation for high-quality early childhood education across all states and communities. While not a curriculum, it is a responsive, educator-developed, educator-informed, and research-based resource that has been honed over multiple generations to support teachers in helping all children thrive and reach their full potential." ~NAEYC

 MaineAEYC stands firm in our support of Dr. Cooper, Developmentally Appropriate Practice and NAEYC. We also stand firm in our support of the educators who work intentionally day in and day out to imbed best practices for the benefit of ALL children and families they serve. 

We must raise our voices together!

The Living Schoolyards Act was reintroduced to Congress in May 2023 by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM). MaineAEYC has signed on as part of the bill's coalition of support, as has the Maine Environmental Education Association. Now, we need your help to build support for the passage of this groundbreaking legislation by asking other senators to co-sponsor the bill!

There are two ways you can do this - you can call your representative and speak to their staffers or you can send them a letter. There are resources below to help you - both options should only take a few minutes of your day! Thank you for helping to support this historic legislation!

Option 1: Send an Online Letter

  • Step 1: Visit this website and input your address

  • Step 2: Select your representatives 

  • Step 3: Copy the call script below into the letter page, make any edits that make it feel more personal to you, and hit send! 

Option 2: Call Your Senators

  • Step 1: Look up your Senator’s contact information here

  • Step 2: Dial their number

  • Step 3: When a staffer picks up, use the script below to tell them about the bill and make your ask about co-sponsorship. You can also leave this as a message if you don’t get through to a staffer

Sample Letter or Phone Call Script: 

Hi, 

My name is ________. I live in (CITY) and am a constituent of Senator _______. 

I am calling because I would like them to consider co-sponsoring the Living Schoolyards Act. It’s a bill that was introduced to the Senate by Senator Martin Heinrich (NM). This legislation will direct federal funding towards greening school grounds. It would specifically provide planning and installation grants to schools to create living schoolyards and outdoor classroom spaces.  

This is important to me because I care deeply about children’s health and well-being, education, and the impacts of climate change. School districts are one of the largest land managers in almost every city and town in the United States and the choices they make directly impact students’ experiences and the well-being of the surrounding community. Removing asphalt and planting trees and other plants on school grounds provides hands-on learning experiences for students, environmental benefits like stormwater management and carbon sequestration, and health benefits, like protecting children from extreme heat and other impacts of climate change.

If Senator _______ is interested in learning more or co-sponsoring the bill, please have their staff contact Elizabeth Hill or Tracie Benally in the office of Senator Heinrich (NM).

Thanks!

Sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) & Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), The "No Child Left Inside" Act was announced in March! Here are some quotes from the press release:

"The legislation would provide federal grants to states for partnerships between school districts and parks, natural resource management agencies, educator preparation programs, and museums or other organizations with expertise in engaging young people with real-world examples of environmental and scientific concepts. It would also establish a pilot program for outdoor school education programs that offer intensive, hands-on learning experiences, such as residential programs and summer camps."

“Our bipartisan legislation would help states integrate environmental education into their core curriculum and establish an outdoor education pilot program so that students can learn more about the native flora, fauna, and ecosystems in their own backyard and be inspired with a lifelong love of nature," said U.S. Senator Susan Collins.

“We hear all the time from parents who are worried about screen time and social media’s downsides. This bill addresses those concerns by getting kids outside, off their screens, and learning more about the natural world around them,” said Senator Jack Reed. “Every child, regardless of their zip code, should have access to environmental education opportunities. Outdoor learning helps teach kids so many lessons, from academic enrichment to character development. This is a smart investment in helping kids grow and achieve their full potential.”

"The positive effects of outdoor learning on child development has been well documented,” said Heather Marden, Co-Executive Director at the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children. “We thank Senator Collins for supporting the No Child Left Inside Act and the expansion of outdoor learning opportunities for children of all ages.”

Federal Policy & Advocacy Partners