Learn how to tell your story

When you are out in the community or writing to a legislator, your story can make a difference.  You don't have to be able to quote statistics; you need to share your own experiences and support of Pennsylvania's investment in quality early education.

Here are some basic tips to think about as you tell your story. for parents for teachers for businesses for everyone! Find your policymakers Email your policymakers

Through Pennsylvania's Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), Pennsylvania invests in a number of programs, serving more than 300,000 of Pennsylvania's children and families: Child Care Certification Child Care Works Children's Trust Fund Early Intervention, birth - five Full Day Kindergarten Head Start Supplemental Keystone STARS Parent-Child Home Program Pennsylvania Nurse-Family Partnership Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts

Find your policymakers.

Each resident of Pennsylvania is served by one state senator and one state representative. Enter your zip below for contact information for your legislators. PLEASE NOTE: Once you click the GO button, you will be brought back to the top of this page. Simply scroll down for the search results.

• Name all the early childhood programs that you participate in (see the list above). It is important that our lawmakers and decision makers realize that each of these programs fills an important role for families and work well together. For example, if your child attends a PA Pre-K Counts classroom in a child care center that is a Keystone STAR 2, mention both programs. It helps legislators understand that we need early childhood programs that can work together.
• Tell how your family benefits from the OCDEL program. For example, are you better able to provide for your family because you receive Child Care Works subsidy or because you know your child is in a quality early education program? Have you become more involved in your child’s early learning and development? Have you seen your child learn new skills? Become more excited about school? Make new friends? Have his/her teachers mentioned the good things your child has done?  If you have children who did participate in an OCDEL program a few years ago, are they doing well in school now?
• Are there other families that you know that would like to have access to an OCDEL program but can’t because there isn’t enough funding?

If you are a teacher

• Name the OCDEL programs that are included in the organization that you work. (see the list above). It is important that our lawmakers and decision makers realize that each of these programs fills an important role for families and work well together. For example, if your program is a Keystone STAR 2 facility that is also participating in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, mention both programs. It helps legislators understand that we need early childhood programs that can work together.
• Tell how you've seen children and families benefit from OCDEL programs. For example, are children building important pre-academic and social skills that are getting them ready for school? Have you seen children enter below their age level in development and make great improvement so they are on track by the time they enter kindergarten? Have parents become more interested in their child's learning with your help and support? Have you seen families become stronger because of this support?
• Are there other families that you know that would like to have access to an OCDEL program but can’t because there isn’t enough funding?

If you are a businessperson

• Share your reasons why you believe that quality early education is an important investment for Pennsylvania. What fact really motivated you to tell your story?
• Share the importance of a skilled workforce to your business, and if you have difficulty recruiting employees that are ready for the job (not requiring additional training) please share those difficulties. It is important for our decisionmakers to recognize that quality early education has a positive effect on both K-12 education and career readiness.
• Share what benefits you see for your employees that have access to quality early education for their children. Are they happier? More productive? Have less absences?
• Share ways in which your business is investing in quality early education. Does your business provide donations or in-kind services to local early learning programs? Does your business house an early learning program on site? Or provide subsidies to employees that need child care?
• Share examples of others that you know that benefit from OCDEL programs. How have the children and their parents benefited from having access to quality early education?

For everyone!

• Share your reasons why you believe that quality early education is an important investment for Pennsylvania. What fact really motivated you to tell your story?
• Share examples of others that you know that benefit from OCDEL programs. How have the children and their parents benefited from having access to quality early education?