voters and early childhood education

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Early Childhood Education Wins When We Vote!

by Paula Drew, WECA Research and Policy Analyst 

PreschoolI have been voting for 20 years. I don’t have an idyllic memory of the first time I voted. In fact, I don’t remember my first vote at all. I have memories of votes I’ve cast for candidates that meant a lot to me. I also have memories of looking at a ballot and feeling embarrassed because I did not recognize all the names listed on it.

My BEST voting memory is from a time when the line at my polling place was so long that it circled around the entire outside of the building. It was a chilly night and I wasn’t properly dressed to be standing outside for hours. But- the energy was electric, and that enthusiasm warmed me from the inside out. Looking around the crowd, everyone’s eyes glimmered of hope and it seemed we were all a part of something much greater than ourselves.

The truth is, we ARE all a part of something much greater than ourselves each and every time we vote! Every vote we cast is a powerful way of saying “hey, this is how I feel about the future for myself, my loved ones and my community.” When we vote, we equalize the playing field. When we choose not to vote, we choose to put our future in someone else’s hands.
2018 VOTE Campaign (5)Now, you wouldn’t blindly purchase a house, choose your child’s school or accept a new job without knowing the finer details that come with those choices, would you? So- I wouldn’t suggest doing that with your vote either. Trust me, it’s embarrassing! The good news is – – the miracles of technology have made accessing straightforward information about ballots and candidates very easy. So easy, that even a busy, full-time working mom, graduate student like myself can now make better choices. With the 2018 fall general election right around the corner, it’s time to start planning your vote. On November 6th, we want you to join all of us at WECA and in all parts of our beautiful nation to decide collectively where we go next!

Here’s what you need to know.

When: Tuesday, November 6th, 2018 7:00am – 8:00pm. Take a moment right now to decide a time on  this day that you will vote and put it on your calendar.

Where: Find your polling station location. Never been there before? Cruise by a week or so in advance so that you are aware of the parking and accessibility options.

How: Confirm that you are registered to vote at your current home address and don’t forget your ID. Don’t have a driver’s license? No problem. Click here now to get a free voter ID card. Going to be out of town? Click here to learn about absentee voting.

Why: Find out what’s going to be on your individual ballot here and then set aside a little time each week to learn about the candidates and issues. Most importantly, know what’s important to you and don’t be bashful about calling a candidate’s headquarters to ask where they stand on an issue (use these sample questions to guide that discussion).

Take it to the next level:

  • Take someone with you who might otherwise not make the commitment to vote.
  • Organize a group of co-workers or friends to head to the polls as a team.
  • Volunteer at your local polling place or for a candidate you believe in.
  • Consider a future run for office if the candidates out there do not represent your values.

Voting for early care and education issues? Take a selfie with your “I voted” sticker and post it to social media with the tag #ECEWins

 

Early childhood education ranks as top priority for voters
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Early childhood education ranks as top priority for voters

ffyf top priority graphic

For three years running, the First Five Years Fund’s annual bipartisan poll shows that early childhood education is a national priority for Americans, regardless of party. ““For the first time in our three years of polling, American voters’ top priority is making sure children get a strong start in life, a concern equal to improving the overall quality of public education,” says Kris Perry, Executive Director of the First Five Years Fund. In the poll, 89% of voters agree that we need to ensure more children don’t miss out on early learning and socialization experiences during the first five years of life when the brain develops more dramatically. 63% strongly agree on this point.


ffyf invest now graphic

What does this mean for Wisconsin?
For WECA – a statewide organization focused on the child care workforce and programs that raise childcare quality – the findings inspire us to keep moving forward. In myriad ways WECA calls for greater investment in quality early care. Our outreach, education and advocacy on this issue is multi-faceted. In 2015 WECA published Starting Early, Starting Now, a research report that outlines potential ways forward in funding a child care delivery system in Wisconsin that is accessible and affordable to all families. Our interactive “Jack’s story” shows the return on investment Wisconsin taxpayers will see when young children get quality early care right from the start. And as the source detail notes – the financial projections are conservative. Throughout the year WECA staff meet with Wisconsin legislators and serve as policy advisors on key state and national committees focused on young children and the early childhood workforce that is so central to the outcomes we seek. WECA works with community partners and recently, sponsored a viewing and discussion of the Raising of America documentary that is traveling throughout the U.S.

As we move closer to the general election cycle we’ll be increasing our outreach and education on behalf of early childhood education investments in Wisconsin.

Your support is needed – as an advocate in our Forward for Kids initiative – and as a donor.  Contributions enable WECA to strengthen its statewide advocacy work that unites families, policymakers, child care providers and others in building a high quality and affordable system of early care and education for all children.