A Child Advocacy Primer

Rev. ed. of: A child advocacy primer: experience and advice from service providers, board leaders, and consumers / Karabelle Pizzigati, Earl Stuck, Melissa Ness. c2002.

Based on the view that service-based agencies have enormous potential as advocates to influence public policy, this guide was developed to help service agencies become consistent, effective public policy advocates and agents for change. The guide draws on the advocacy work of service agencies nationwide to address the key concerns about getting involved in advocacy and suggests tips for structuring, staffing, and managing advocacy efforts. Following introductory remarks, the chapters are: (1) "Embracing Advocacy: Mission, Obligation, and Function in a Service-Based Agency"; (2) "Sustaining an Advocacy Focus: Incorporating Advocacy into the Agency's Vision and Work"; (3) "Preparing for Advocacy: Scope and Content of Advocacy"; (4) "Mobilizing the Advocacy Team: Board, Staff, Volunteers, and Consumers"; (5) "Crafting the Agenda: Achievable Goals, Measurable Progress"; (6) "Assessing the Environment: Context, Key Players, and Coalitions"; (7) "Knowing the Process: Understanding How Policy Evolves"; and (8) "Lessons Learned and Next Steps: Advice from the Advocates." Two appendices include answers to frequently asked questions about lobbying and list advocacy resources. (Contains 16 references.) (KB)

Contemporary family life educators operate within a wide range of settings and with increasingly varied populations and families. In the third edition of Family Life Education, Darling and Cassidy expose readers to the diverse landscape of the field while laying a comprehensive, research-based, practical foundation for current and future family life educators. The authors, both CFLE-certified, consider the Certified Family Life Educator certification requirements of the National Council on Family Relations throughout the text. Their broad overview of the field includes a brief history and discussion of family life education as an established profession. The authors incorporate theory, research, and practice while also providing guidelines for planning, implementing, and evaluating family life education programs. Chapters on sexuality education, relationship and marriage education, and parenting education highlight some of the more prevalent and visible forms of family life education. Comments from international educators and interactive classroom exercises focus on global trends, building awareness and appreciation of diversity. Discussion questions and activities encourage readers to examine issues and apply what they have learned.

Six Steps to Successful Child Advocacy: Changing the World for Children (by Amy Conley Wright and Kenneth J. Jaffe) offers an interdisciplinary approach to child advocacy, nurturing key skills through a proven six-step process that has been used to train child advocates and create social change around the world. The approach is applicable for micro-advocacy for one child, mezzo-advocacy for a community or group of children, and macro-advocacy at a regional, national, or international level. This practical text offers skill-building activities and includes timely topics such as how to use social media for advocacy. Case studies of advocacy campaigns highlight applied approaches to advocacy across a range of issues, including child welfare, disability, early childhood, and education. Words of wisdom from noted child advocates from the U.S. and around the world, including a foreword from Dr. Jane Goodall, illustrate key concepts. Readers are guided through the process of developing a plan and tools for a real-life child advocacy campaign.