There has been much news over the past few months about budget cuts and changes to government programs for families and children. Many organizations, including Families as Allies, have encouraged families to call their U.S. Senators and Representatives and share feedback with them about these cuts and changes.
But do you ever wonder what to say once you call policymakers? These are some practical things to think about:
- It may feel like you don’t have much information to share, but you know something vital that no policymaker knows. You know what has and hasn’t worked for your child and family. Knowing how policies work out for families can be helpful to policymakers.
- When you call a member of Congress, you will probably talk to a staff member. That’s fine. Staff members are trained professionals who try to get the correct information and share it with your U.S. Senator or Representative. It’s always good to thank them for the opportunity to share and ask for their email so you can remind them of what you shared.
- If there are services that you think are particularly helpful to your family, describe those to the staff member. Even if you don’t know how the government funds a service or what program offers the service, the staff member should be able to help figure that out.
- Remember that one federal government goal right now is to cut waste. If there are services you don’t think are helpful and shouldn’t be funded, sharing that information is helpful, too.
- You may have noticed ways a service saves money that a policymaker wouldn’t necessarily consider. For example, if your child gets school support that helps them do better in class and you get fewer calls from the school, you can keep your job, which saves money. It also makes things less stressful in your family and makes it more likely that your child will graduate. Sharing those kinds of relationships helps policymakers know how to make good decisions.
- If any organization, including Families as Allies, asks you to consider reaching out to policymakers about federal funding cuts to our organizations, feel free to ask us how we ensure any money we get goes toward our mission. You can request to see our 990, the tax return nonprofits file.
Whether or not you reach out to any policymaker is your call (literally). If you do choose to call your policymakers, remember you have a valuable perspective that only you can share—and what you share helps policymakers make better decisions.
