We belong in these rooms: A day that changed everything!
It took me a full day to find the words…
Yesterday was “the day,” the moment when we put into practice everything we had been learning. As representatives of the Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children (MAAEYC), we were part of the Massachusetts delegation. We were fortunate to have Shaakira Parker, MPH, MA, together with Amy O’Leary from Strategies for Children, coordinating our schedule. We’re proud to share that we completed 10 congressional visits in one day.
We met with 10 of the 11 members of the Massachusetts delegation:
• Rep. Stephen Lynch
• Rep. Seth Moulton
• Rep. Jim McGovern
• Rep. Ayanna Pressley
• Rep. Jake Auchincloss
• Rep.Katherine Clark
• Rep. Lori Trahan
• Rep. Richard Neal
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren
• Sen. Ed Markey
We were grateful for meaningful conversations with members and senior staff across the delegation.
As a first-timers — Harold Blanco and I on Capitol Hill, walking those halls felt surreal. The conversations were substantive. The energy was electric. The responsibility was real.
We weren’t just visiting offices — we were advocating for children, families, and the early childhood workforce.
Today, as I replay each meeting in my mind, I realize something powerful:
I was not just observing history — I was participating in it.
Sitting in those rooms, sharing data, telling stories from our educators, speaking about the realities of child care in Massachusetts, it reminded me that our voices matter in policy spaces.
And here is what I know now:
✨ The sky is the limit.
Not because opportunities magically appear, but because we choose to step into rooms we once thought were out of reach.
To every early childhood educator, family child care, and community leader who wonders whether advocacy is “for you”: … It is!
You belong in those rooms.
Your lived experience is expertise.
Your voice can shape legislation.
If you’ve ever considered participating in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Public Policy Forum, let this be your sign.
Step forward.
Raise your voice.
Take up space.
Because when educators advocate, children win.
Here’s to continued #leadership, bold #advocacy, and the impact we are only beginning to make.
