Rebecca McCarthy’s Post

Rebecca McCarthy and I were recently invited to participate in a panel at St. Scholastica’s College, an all girls high school, with the theme being “Voice of the Voiceless/Voices of Advocacy”. The event aimed to educate students about the schools social justice initiatives and features speakers who have been involved in or created social justice projects within their communities. I feel incredibly proud to have been able to share our story about how we’ve been a voice of advocacy in our community and why we are so passionate about what we do. Giving a voice to the voiceless is a part of the very reason Wildflower Holistic Services was created.  We wanted to create a space where our community members felt seen, heard, and celebrated. We listen when others look away, and we advocate by educating and empowering our clients to challenge and say f*ck  you to the systems that have held them back. We attempt to put ourselves in their shoes, understand their needs, and then advocate for those needs. These are some of the questions I was asked ⬇ How do you advocate for change at Wildflowers? We encourage and empower people to not be scared of seeking help when they need it We focus on individuals strengths  We normalise mental health as something we all experience We look to change the environment as opposed to the person We actively listen to understand needs We advocate through education What’s your advice to the students in regard to advocacy? Consider all perspectives. Think about what you're passionate about, go beyond data driven statistics. Listen to those who have lived experiences - put yourselves in their shoes to understand their feelings and needs - then hearing that and advocating for that. Understand that not everyone will agree with you, and everyone has something to offer. And thats okay, because different perspectives enrich advocacy. What do you want the students to take away? When your an innovator, your biggest challenge is the status quo - when your innovating and advocating your always going to be on that front foot and not everyone is going to agree with you. You will often face resistance because not everyone likes change. But society evolves through innovation, and it’s our role as innovators to sit in that space whilst knowing it's going to be challenging. CONTINUED IN COMMENTS ⬇

This new brief from our research partner Child Trends spotlights three state initiatives that sought to engage families with young children to incorporate their perspectives into child care and early education (CCEE) strategies. Considerations for state leaders and communities as they work to engage parents and caregivers in different initiatives and aspects of their work include: • Consider a range of strategies for engaging parents and caregivers in initiatives. • Offer opportunities for parents and caregivers to participate in initiatives across the implementation cycle. • Financially compensate parents and caregivers for their time and effort. • Prioritize ongoing communication and feedback loops with parents and caregivers. • Incorporate opportunities for parents and caregivers to build their skillsets and develop their networks into family engagement efforts. • Ask parents and caregivers about the best format, days, and times for meetings and other family engagement activities. • Prioritize creating welcoming environments when designing opportunities for parents and caregivers to engage with your work. • Continue learning from the growing set of best practices for family engagement and leadership. https://buff.ly/3VDO9eh #ECE #ECEchat

This new brief from our research partner Child Trends spotlights three state initiatives that sought to engage families with young children to incorporate their perspectives into child care and early education (CCEE) strategies. Considerations for state leaders and communities as they work to engage parents and caregivers in different initiatives and aspects of their work include: • Consider a range of strategies for engaging parents and caregivers in initiatives. • Offer opportunities for parents and caregivers to participate in initiatives across the implementation cycle. • Financially compensate parents and caregivers for their time and effort. • Prioritize ongoing communication and feedback loops with parents and caregivers. • Incorporate opportunities for parents and caregivers to build their skillsets and develop their networks into family engagement efforts. • Ask parents and caregivers about the best format, days, and times for meetings and other family engagement activities. • Prioritize creating welcoming environments when designing opportunities for parents and caregivers to engage with your work. • Continue learning from the growing set of best practices for family engagement and leadership. https://buff.ly/3VDO9eh #ECE #ECEchat

Today, we raise our voices in solidarity with Dr. Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey. May she sleep in peace. HER story demands attention and action. It’s a call to listen, to understand, and to seek accountability where it’s due. For those who remain silent, hidden behind titles and power, know that accountability is paramount. This isn’t just #HERSTORY ; it’s a narrative that challenges us to foster a safer, more accountable environment. Let’s ensure her voice is not only heard but sparks meaningful change. #HearHerStory #AccountabilityMatters #StandWithHER #VoiceForChange #EndSilence #EmpowermentThroughAction #JusticeForAntoinette #LeadershipAccountability #AdvocacyInAction #workplacebully #TransformDataIntoMeaningfulAction

Advocating for a ‘Neuroaffirming Paradigm Shift’ comes with such a complex mix of excitement, fear, anticipation, exhaustion and HOPE. As a professional I have this sense of excitement, hope and anticipation. And yet, as a parent to three neurodivergent children (this is where my heart is most exposed), advocacy for genuine inclusion moves beyond an active choice- it becomes this compelling internal drive fueled by this fierce, protective love. Illuminating the need for genuine inclusion and advocating for society to honour the unique brain-body needs of ALL children is now a lens through which I see and engage with the world. This lens, stirs this internal drive and keeps me going on days where I want to crawl back under the covers and avoid all the different demands daily life throws my way. This lens, so deeply embedded in how I experience the world, now forms a core part of who I am and what I value and I now cannot imagine my life any other way. This lens, opening my eyes to all I could not see beforehand, has enriched my deep respect for my own neurodivergent children, their unique strengths and challenges and the way they enrich my life and the lives of those around them. This lens, this intimate mix of lived experiences (isolation, grief, determination, confusion, anger, rejection) as well as the gift of incredibly rich personal and professional collaboration has moved me from a place of isolation and fear, to a place of community and hope. And lastly, this lens has illuminated for me, this: Advocacy is not a burden - it truly is a privilege.

As we celebrate this year's U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Minority Health Month theme, Be the Source for Better Health: Improving Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities, and Connections, we lift up our partners at Porter-Leath and the Early Success Coalition as they work to reduce health disparities through person- and family-centered approaches that address social drivers of health (SDOH) disproportionately burdening communities of color. Evidence-based early home visitation (EBHV) improves the health and well-being of young children and their families. In particular, culturally congruent EHBV in partnership with responsive community resources can effectively address racial and ethnic health disparities. We celebrate the ESC's Shelby County partners for their ongoing commitment to strengthen local EBHV programs and connections. These resources nurture the physical, mental, and social health of women facing health disparities—a disproportionate share of whom are women of color. 🔗 Learn more about the ESC and explore their library of resources: earlysuccesscoalition.com/ #MinorityHealthEquity #NMHM24 #PersonCenteredCare #EarlySuccessCoalition

Do you work or interact with infants and toddlers age 0-3? Join our network! For the first time we are working to formalize membership in the NCIT to build a publicly available list of organizations with a shared commitment to infants and toddlers. It's only when organizations come together and share their voice that we can pass the equitable policies we need as quickly as possible. And that’s where you come in. We need your organization to become a member today! What are the benefits of Membership? Becoming a formal member aligns your organization with the hundreds of other members working on prenatal-to-three issues at the local, state, federal and tribal levels. Members can also access specialized tools, resources and support needed to support the change we want to see in our communities. Supports such as an online grassroots action center, advocacy and issue trainings, and campaign consultation and one-on-one technical assistance from planning through every phase of a campaign. What are the commitments? We want everyone interested in helping infants, toddlers and their families thrive to be a member of NCIT. The commitments are simple and allow for customization of time and effort based on the organization’s priorities and capacity but include asking staff and contacts to sign up for updates, attending quarterly virtual meetings, following and engaging with NCIT on social media, as well as agree to share or work on engagement opportunities with NCIT with your networks on issues relevant to your base. MEMBERSHIP IS FREE! Find all the details and SIGN-UP HERE: www.ncit.org/membership

Our vision is empowered people, connected communities; limitless opportunities. In developing our vision statement, we consulted with parents and representatives from each arm of our service. Imagining we could not fail, we asked ourselves, what impact do we want to create for the families and children we serve? We strive to break barriers to participation, accessibility, and inclusion by empowering the individuals integral to a child’s or adolescent’s life through building capacity, education, advocacy and awareness. Our goal is not to burden our clients with the need to change, instead embracing their differences and focusing our efforts on influencing our local community to be more inclusive. We work to ensure that families feel a deep sense of connection to their community, whether at school, the local cafe, or through the support networks we help build among parents on similar journeys. And by doing all of this, we hope to create limitless opportunities for the children, adolescents and families we serve. We assume competency and set ambitious goals with our clients, aiming to exceed the limitations imposed in the past. Through our efforts, we envision a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and participate fully in their community. #emble #empoweringability #visionstatement

If you work in child and family advocacy, and you *don’t actually believe change is possible*, then you need to step aside. I’ve come across a few extremely jaded advocates who seem to have lost all hope. They have walls up, and aren’t willing to think beyond what they perceive the limits to be. I get it. When you’ve done this work for years and you’ve taken some losses, it’s hard to stay positive. But hopelessness is a luxury. Giving up is a privilege. Leaders who say “it will never work” or “that’s too ambitious” are not the people we like to work alongside. I love partnering with leaders who are game. The ones who stay grounded in strategy, yet still love to stretch and try new things. The ones who have been around a block or two and yet still think the work they do is fun, even when it’s challenging. 2024 might be a rough year, sure. But what we can’t do is move like defeat is inevitable. What we cannot do is throw up our hands and declare it over. Our children deserve better, and our families deserve more. A baseline requirement for this work is that you believe a better future is out there, waiting to be created. If that’s not you, it’s time you move out of the way. 🚀

In Part 3 of our racial equity series, "Advancing Racial Justice Through The BUILD Health Challenge," we detail the recommendations for BUILD’s racial equity journey that emerged from our awardee partners. These recommendations include ways to: - Strengthen BUILD's commitment to racial justice; - Participate in field-building and thought leadership; and - Create interactive and supportive pathways for awardees to advance their goals. Read the article to learn more: