Express your appreciation and give credit to your legislator . Be courteous and appreciative. Always write thank-you letters. Honor those who have been longtime champions of better child care policies. Spend time with reporters.
Good press is appreciated by legislators.
Work with candidates before they get elected. Educate prospective officeholders about child care issues. Work with those developing a candidate's platform and encourage them to include child care initiatives. Put together a forum on child care issues during the election campaign. Remember that if you work for a nonprofit organization, you can devote time and resources to an individual candidate only if it is on your own time and is not associated with the organization for which you work.