What: A webinar on the basics for advocating for increased investments in the universal newborn nurse home visiting model Family Connects.

Who: Melea Rose Waters, MSW, is the Senior Policy Director at Family Connects International.

When: July 12, 2023 – 2PM EST. Open to Community Partners Within the FCI Network.

The time to plan for sustainability of your Family Connects program is today. One strategy to sustainable funding is through advocacy with policymakers. Advocacy is the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal by influencing policymakers on the local, state, and federal levels of government. Effective advocacy is focused, informed, and strategic.

Join us to learn about the fundamentals of advocacy. We will discuss the difference between advocacy and lobbying, effective advocacy strategies, engaging policymakers, developing your messaging, and taking action.

Objectives:

Participants will be able to:
1. Define three key differences between advocacy and lobbying;
2. Recognize and apply the four parts of developing messaging for policymakers; and,
3. Select at least three action steps you can take to advocate for your Family Connects program.

Melea Rose Waters, MSW, is the Senior Policy Director at Family Connects International. Through her role at FCI, she aims to increase investments in the
Family Connects Universal Newborn Home Visiting Model by influencing policymakers, actively collaborating with stakeholders, and building the capacity of partners to advocate for resources on the local, state, and federal levels of government. She has over a decade of experience advocating for children and families on the local, state, and federal levels of government, in addition to nearly ten years of working directly with families who were involved with child welfare.

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