TIME FOR A CHILDREN'S MOVEMENT
Wingspread Journal, Winter 1997

CREATING A PARADE FOR KIDS

The world of politics may not be child-friendly, but parents will need to master it if children are to be nurtured well. Jack Levine and John Deardourff offer strategies for mobilizing momentum.

Almost 70 years ago, the humorist Will Rogers wryly noted that smart politicians know where there is a parade ... and they get in front of it.

Today, the brass bands and blaring trumpets of a parade for children and families are strikingly silent--as are the speeches from politicians, eager to take a stand for kids. The parade for the health and well-being of America's families and children is yet to be formed.

That may be changing, at least according to Jack Levine, director of the Tallahassee-based Florida Center for Children & Youth, and organizer of the Florida Children's Campaign. He spoke at a recent Wingspread Briefing, "Building Nonpartisan Political Muscle for Kids," where he urged those concerned about children to communicate with elected officials--before they are elected.

"We have an obligation to communicate to our elected officials-to-be," Levine says. "If we don't leverage the power of parents--who care most and do most and know most for our children--into the political realm, we will continue to lose our babies."

The problem with leveraging the power of parents, at least in the recent past, has been that "most parents are wimps when it comes to politics." By that, Levine means that parents and politics have traditionally been very separate. Fewer than one in five parents vote. An even smaller percentage is able to identify key local, state, or federal legislators by name. If parents don't know the names of their elected representatives, how will they ever effectively communicate their concerns about their families?

John Deardourff agrees that politicians have almost no contact with those who know the most about our children. President of Deardourff/The Media Company, he has just finished two years of personal interviews with 177 state legislative leaders in all 50 states. He presented his findings at the Wingspread conference "Building a Constituency for Children."

"Ask legislative leaders who are the most effective advocates and their answer--nearly unanimously across the country--is the American Association of Retired Persons, the National Rifle Association, whatever the teachers' organizations are, and then the unions and business interests, such as the state Chamber of Commerce or industry council.

"Asked if they knew personally anyone who advocated on behalf of children, the legislators identified only others who served with them in government. Their idea of children's issues is public education. It is the big item in the state budget, the most debated issue, a place where interests align, where the teachers' unions and professional educators weigh in heavily. Most are only vaguely familiar with the details of any program involving kids. Many have never visited a Head Start program, neonatal unit in a hospital, or any other single facility serving children," says Deardourff.

Because politicians are so disconnected from child advocates, they do not believe they pay any price for not doing child advocacy. And, even if they were so motivated, most have no idea of what goals or priorities to champion.

According to Deardourff, politicians know what AARP wants and what the anti-smoking lobby wants. But there is no coalition that can give a legislator "the kids' agenda" and the bills required to accomplish that agenda.

Informing legislators, says Levine, is where parents can make a difference--by "building a bridge between those who know, care, and do most for kids and those running for public office." What does such a bridge involve? It means introducing officials-to-be to real parents and real kids. It means talking about what it is like to be on a waiting list for services, or to have a child victimized by another child who was denied counseling. It means talking to candidates, one-on-one, about personal and real experiences.

Deardourff agrees that legislators see organizations with grassroots components as too powerful to ignore. As one state representative from Pennsylvania told him, "The people who show up at meetings are the old folk who identify themselves as card-carrying members of AARP." There is nothing equivalent for "young folk."

Just as important, building a bridge means knowing--and using--the political system. "I can't overemphasize how much legislators respect effective full-time lobbying in the capitol. To them, this is someone who understands the rhythms of the legislative process and that it's too late to parade on the day the vote is being taken," says Deardourff.

As parents begin to test the political waters, what are some of the tried and true strategies that can help child advocates succeed nationally and locally?

Focus on the contributors. "Who's more influential than a contributor?" Levine asks. Individuals who contribute to candidates--especially contributors who give "early money"--can offer a powerful connection with the candidate. Use the contributor lists, available in the public record, to target influential contributors to advocate on behalf of youth with candidates.

Don't neglect the media. In Florida, Levine calls the media "our greatest megaphone." Reporters and editors can be powerful allies in getting politicians on the record on issues of concern to families and children.

Know who votes. You can bet each candidate knows the 10 highest voter-turnout precincts in her or his district. Target the same precincts the candidates do, so that voters know what questions to ask. "If we're in there ahead of [candidates] with key information about kids and how to save them, they're impressed when their own constituents say this rather than us," says Levine.

Include local elites. According to Deardourff, typical state legislators are very insecure. They need to know that the influential people in town are interested in children's issues. One legislator told him, "If I get one letter from a doctor or a lawyer or somebody who owns a company in my district, I pick up the phone and call him."

Consider partisanship. Political figures in both parties believe that most child advocates are liberal Democrats. Deardourff suggests that unless the children's coalition is broadened to include people who are not comfortable thinking of themselves as Democrats, a children's movement will not make headway.

Get the facts. "Legislators want research related to their district, as in 'How many kids in my district could be in Head Start if we had the money?'" says Deardourff. "They need it in an easy-to-digest way. They want somebody to sit with them for 90 seconds and tell them what they need to know so they can go on to the next thing."

Be willing to scratch their backs. Legislators talk a lot about how important it is to them that they have friends when they need them, especially when they're running for office, says Deardourff. They want to be able to call on the time, money, or prestige of an organization as in, "I know that I can call the head of the local teachers' union in my district, and they will send a dozen people to do mailings for me." Many wouldn't even know who to call to get a child advocate's help.

Don't forget young people. Even if young people can't vote, they are interested in children's issues and can help get the vote out. Levine tells the story of a group of young people in Florida who hosted a candidates' forum and set their own youth agenda. When they invited each candidate they made a point of telling them "your attendance will be appreciated and your absence will be acknowledged"--on a cable television broadcast of the forum.

Don't forget the seniors. According to Levine, some of the best child advocates are seniors. In a majority of 17 Florida districts that voted to establish special taxing districts to benefit kids, seniors had the highest proportion of "yes" votes. In fact, senior voters are generally more likely to support children's initiatives than are parents. Why? "Seniors know the definition of the word 'legacy,'" says Levine.

The world of politics may not be a child-friendly one. But it is a world that parents and advocates will need to master if children are to be nurtured well. The children's parade will begin, not with a brass band, but with a flurry of handwritten letters to legislators, phone calls to political contributors, and parents who demand family-friendly policy for all our children.

Jack Levine is director of the Florida Center for Children & Youth. John Deardourff is president of Deardourff/The Media Company.

John Deardourff was a featured presenter at the Wingspread conference "Building a Constituency for Children." Jack Levine spoke at a Wingspread Briefing. This article was based on their remarks and on the conference report "Building a Constituency for Children" published by The Children's Partnership.