90% of brain development
occurs by age 5.
Only 50% of eligible children
receive a child care subsidy.
Currently there is only enough funding
to send 18% of eligible children in Harris
County to Head Start.
How to Get Involved
One of the most effective ways to advocate for our children is through our government representatives.
Advocacy for quality early care and education can take the form of a letter, email or phone call to your state or federal representatives. To your advantage, it may be necessary to determine which form of contact works best with your representative’s office. The links below can point you toward your appropriate representatives and provide general guidelines and assistance through the contact process.
Collaborative for Children also contacts your representatives and takes action through community meetings, public awareness events, legislative forums and briefings and capitol visits.
Contact Your Representatives
Who represents me?
This website provides current information about districts and members of the Texas Senate, Texas House of Representatives, the Texas delegation to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and the State Board of Education.
How to write your representatives
You can contact your representatives either by letter to a local office or by e-mail. Depending on the representative, one method may be preferred over the other, so you may consider calling your representatives to find out which method is preferred. In the case of a federal representative, mailing a letter to his or her local office may be faster because of higher mail security at capitol offices.
How to call your representatives
Does calling your representatives really make a difference? Yes – and it only takes a few minutes. Here’s how:
Start by finding out your representative’s information by visiting Who Represents Me?
Be prepared. Your call does not have to be complicated or full of facts, but make sure you are clear about why you are calling. A personal story often helps illustrate your point. Simply and sincerely recount what you’ve experienced and how you feel. Also, if you are calling about a specific piece of legislation, make sure you mention it by its bill number and express why your representative should or should not vote for that particular bill.
During your call, make sure you leave your name and address.
It is likely that you will speak with a representative’s staff member. In this case, still follow the steps above and request that the staff member to pass along the message to your representative.
Advocacy by the Numbers