Wisconsin Head Start Association Spring Advocacy Event
April 15-16, 2025 – Madison, WI
Summary:
Wisconsin Head Start Association is collaborating with Wisconsin Early Childhood Association, WI Dept. of Children and Families, Raising Wisconsin, and more to bring you our best advocacy event yet! Join us on April 15-16 at the Concourse Hotel and Governor’s club in Madison, WI. On April 15, WHSA will be offering professional development including tracks on Family Engagement, State Leadership (Directors/high management), and advocacy. April 16 will be the annual WHSA Advocacy Day at the Capitol celebration.
Family Engagement Track: Four-Step Approach to Difficult Conversations with Families
April 15 – Managing difficult conversations can be challenging. Jess Bowden from YoungStar Connect offers this four-step approach offers strategies for promoting positive interactions with families that are collaborative, supportive, and focus on problem-solving. Participants will have the opportunity to practice these strategies and leave with strengthened communication skills that can be used personally and professionally.
Advocacy Training Track: The Hows and Whys of Head Start Advocacy
April 15 – Tanya Wooden and Kayla Gardner of Raising WI will be presenting Advocacy 101-104 which include:
- Advocacy 101: Telling Your Story
Personal stories are a powerful advocacy tool. This section will offer a framework for crafting your own story and tips for contacting your elected officials to share your story. - Advocacy 102: An Overview of Advocating for ECE
Learn about the history of ECE advocacy, discover who represents you, and demystify the state budget process. - Advocacy 103: Partnering with Families in Advocacy
Discover how to engage families in advocacy efforts. Learn strategies to collaborate with parents and caregivers to amplify their voices and drive change in early care and education. - Advocacy 104: Partnering with Businesses and Community Leaders in Advocacy
Learn how to partner with businesses and community leaders to strengthen advocacy for early care and education. Explore ways to align early childhood needs with broader community goals.
April 15 – Rachel Peller: “Raising Your Voice for Change”
We know something needs to change, but how do we make it happen? Join us for a practical workshop designed for parents and Head Start providers who want to make a meaningful impact. You’ll hear some specific, inspiring examples of how everyday people have used their voices to create real solutions, before diving into hands-on practice of connecting a personal story to a policy goal in a way that connects instead of divides. Every voice matters in this conversation – including yours. This workshop will help prepare you for your legislative visits with both tools and practice.
This workshop is led by Rachel Peller, the Director of Wisconsin Partners, a coalition of statewide associations (including WHSA) and locally-based civic groups collaborating across sector, perspective, and communities for a better Wisconsin. Raising Wisconsin and WEESSN both emerged from this coalition, through an asset-based, relational approach to address root cause and common-ground issues.
State Leadership Track: Directors and Managers
April 15 – WI state representatives will be on site to lead important conversations concerning the state of early childhood education in our state. More information coming soon!
WHSA Advocacy Day at the Capitol: Bring Your Voices!
April 16 – Join WHSA and WECA for Advocacy Day at the Capitol! We will host a morning of speakers and training to prepare for legislative visits. In the afternoon, attendees will go over to the Wisconsin State Capitol to meet with their state representatives and senators to discuss the importance of high-quality early care and education. This event is a great opportunity to connect with fellow advocates, learn about important issues in child care, and make your voice heard. Together, we can work towards creating a better future for children everywhere. Don’t miss out on this chance to be a part of something meaningful!
Raising WI will be on site to present a training on Child Care Counts, its effects on the Head Start Community, and why NOW is the time to advocate for its permanence in the WI state budget. Understand the early care and education landscape and how we’re all in it together. Understand the state budget process.
Tentative Schedule of WHSA Advocacy Day (April 16, 2025):
- 8:00am-12:00pm Breakfast and large group activities to prepare for our legislative visits.
- 12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch break (on your own)
- 1:00pm Legislative visits begin and run throughout the afternoon
Where: The Concourse Hotel and Governors Club
1 W Dayton St, Madison, WI 53703
When: April 15-16, 2025
Audience: Everyone! Staff, managers, directors and especially Head Start parents.
Room Block Information: Click Here to make your sleeping room reservations at a discounted rate!
Room Block Deadline: March 24, 2025.
Special Discounted Ticket Prices: Click HERE to view the ticket prices.
Questions: Contact Brian at Brians@whsaonline.org or Jennie at Jenniem@whsaonline.org.
WHSA/Raising WI State Budget Ask:
WHSA and Raising WI are advocating for a long-term, substantial state investment to support child care professionals and early childhood programs. This will have proven short- and long-term returns for the early childhood workforce, working families, economic productivity, and community health to reflect child care’s status as a vital public good.
It is long past time for Wisconsin to support children, families and the child care sector through a significant investment of state revenue. The majority of Wisconsin families cannot cover the gap of funding needed to sustain the child care industry. This lack of funding will continue to result in an under provision of care.
Wisconsin children, families, and employers deserve better. The returns are wide-ranging and vital for a thriving Wisconsin economy. Not investing is a loss we cannot afford. Let’s fund child care as the public good it is to our state.
More information and resources below:
RW_2025-27-State-Budget-Ask
Raising Wisconsin Advocacy Toolkit Resources
