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Top Takeaways is a series of recaps from important conversations, town halls, webinars and virtual events about early learning.

On Thursday, Sept. 21, and teamed up for a webinar titled Educator-Led Movement Building: Lessons from Grassroots Leaders. The moderator was Chrisanne Gayl, chief strategy & policy officer of the Trust for Learning. (Disclosure: I consult to this organization.) Chiefly, the panelists focused on the March 2022 and legislative victories for family child care providers in Connecticut, but these five takeaways should resonate with advocates everywhere.

Here are the 5 Top Takeaways:

1.  The Morning Without Child Care took a broad coalition. Marina Rodriguez, All Our Kin鈥檚 senior director in New Haven, called the event 鈥渢ruly a collaboration from all corners of the sector.鈥� The providers, who had educated state鈥檚 young children during the height of the pandemic, often at significant personal sacrifice, turned out in great numbers to make sure their voices were heard.

Their activism is credited for unlocking $120 million in stabilization funding, and the event inspired a . 鈥淚t was amazing to see everyone come together,鈥� said Nichelle Waddell, owner of Watch Me Grow Daycare in Stamford, Conn. 鈥淲hen our voices are heard, we do make a difference.鈥�

2. The zoning victory relied on partnerships and patience. Starting in October, providers like Waddell will be able to expand their programs from six children to 12. As , 鈥淭he law鈥�protects home-based child care providers by prohibiting zoning requirements that treat them differently than the residents of other single- and multi-family homes, a practice that has historically hamstrung those who wish to care for and educate children in their homes.鈥�

Waddell described the dilemma that providers like her faced, 鈥淚 was constantly having to turn families away, because one person out of 23 [on a zoning committee] could block me.鈥� She mentioned the time a police officer and wife came with their three-month-old: 鈥淭hey were begging me, but I had to deny them because of zoning. That broke my heart, but it made me more determined to keep fighting.鈥�

The stakes were high. 鈥淚 had two young children,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淚 was scared. All Our Kin welcomed me with open arms and made me feel like I was part of the family.鈥� The Zoom hearing ran from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., with 15 All Our Kin team members and educators in attendance, and the measure received unanimous approval that night.

鈥淚 had never been a part of anything bigger than myself,鈥� Waddell said. Jade Thomas, Connecticut Early Care and Policy Fellow, acknowledged the participation of the Yale Law School Community & Economic Development Clinic () as well as the , , the and the .

3. Direct service and advocacy are better together. Thomas highlighted the fertile intersection of programming and policy advocacy, noting that All Our Kin had decided to take on policy because 鈥渆ducators were running into barriers that couldn鈥檛 be addressed through programming alone.鈥�

Training, mentorship and policy education have all become part of how the organization does business. Pushing for administrative and legislative change, she cautioned, can be a slow and frustrating process, but the payoff is worth it. Systems change at the community and state level advances equity for the workforce and for families and communities.

4. The ones living the reality should inform policy. 鈥淭oo often, policy is shaped by those who aren鈥檛 living the reality,鈥� said Jessica Sager, cofounder and CEO of All Our Kin. Building on this observation, Thomas said the most effective and equitable way of addressing the shortage of infant-toddler slots is 鈥渂uilding a coalition by identifying the people who are directly affected by the issue,鈥� adding: 鈥淚f we want change the system, we have to follow their lead.鈥�

Rodriguez recommended: 鈥淗onor the culture of educators. Remember, they have a lot to lose. Not everyone has the privilege of not having think about the consequences of activism.鈥� Noting that her own early care journey started a quarter-century ago when her son鈥檚 Head Start teacher invited her to volunteer in the classroom, she added, 鈥淭his work is about my life story. My family and I were able to move up and out of poverty.鈥�

5. Emotions are welcome. Rodriguez also emphasized the importance of being present and responsive to the needs of educators. 鈥淧roviders have our direct numbers,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey can reach us directly to complain or celebrate.鈥�

Asked by Gayl about All Our Kin鈥檚 commitment to such as 鈥淐hildren and adults learn through relationships,鈥� she affirmed, 鈥淓motion and values are at the center of everything we do.鈥� Waddell concurred, saying, 鈥淲ith advocacy, it has to be about more than yourself. This is about those who come after.鈥�

Gayl added, 鈥淚n the post-COVID era,鈥� there鈥檚 a significant spotlight on early childhood education.鈥� With public and policymakers waking up to the systemic inequities and the potential solutions, she recommended taking advantage of this moment in time.

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.