NCFL’s Activate! National Network brings families and practitioners together for early childhood advocacy

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) is excited to launch and facilitate the Activate! National Early Childhood Advocacy Network. This program is designed to center Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) family leadership, representation, and advocacy to develop inclusive and equitable early childhood programs in communities across the country.

Thirty-seven participants from seven states make up the first cohort of this three-year initiative that is funded by W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the PNC Foundation in support of its early childhood education initiative, PNC Grow Up Great^®. The cohort is comprised of both parents and early childhood practitioners, hailing from 11 communities across Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, DC.

Group shot of the thirty-seven participants from seven states who make up the first cohort of Activate! National Network — Thirty-seven participants from seven states make up the first cohort of Activate! National Network

NCFL has a long history of partnering with early childhood educators and providers to develop innovative practices in the field. The newly launched cohort is designing innovations in quality early childhood education that will support institutions to better serve BIPOC families in underserved communities.

The Carnegie Corporation of New York’s 2021 report “Embracing a New Normal” lays out recommendations for building effective and equitable family engagement practices through the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (K. Mapp & E. Bergman, 2021). The Framework emphasizes building capacity of families and educators through means that are assets-based, collaborative, inclusive, and culturally responsive. NCFL is leading the implementation of these recommendations through our approach to working with families.

NCFL’s cohort facilitation and co-design process cultivates positive narratives between BIPOC parents and practitioners, promotes racial healing, and supports authentic voice and agency. By intentionally bringing together parents and practitioners to share power and involvement in decision making, the Activate! National Network is generating meaningful actions that reflect and promote racial equity.

Participant Diamond Miles recently remarked, “Activate National has a knack of ensuring that all parents, practitioners, and participants feel equal in [the] relationship. It cuts back intimidation and makes me feel safe to speak, to be heard and acknowledged.”

Participants of the cohort take part in community building activity — Participants of the cohort take part in a community building activity

The cohort kicked off in the fall of 2021 and identified the following selected topics to be explored during work group sessions throughout the year:

Access to quality childcare/universal PreK
Economic opportunity – mixed status families and tax-related barriers
Improving mental and physical health in early childhood programs
Disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline in early childhood systems

With these topics in focus, the cohort is working together to co-design practices and resources that unite, elevate, and incorporate the knowledge, strengths, and lived experiences of underserved families with young children. This learning space celebrates and prioritizes the capabilities of BIPOC families to mobilize and play leading roles in developing an equitable early childhood field through projects that promote and influence larger systems and policy change. In fact, this cohort is co-designing a guide that will inform local, state, and national policies for equitable early childhood systems.

Two NCFL staff members hold large sticky notes with the group's thoughts — Two NCFL staff members hold large sticky notes with the group’s thoughts

As the year progresses, NCFL will share learnings and insights gleaned from the Activate! National Network to inform the field on different approaches for engaging parents and caretakers in education. By centering their voices, we establish more equitable, fair, and just settings that are designed to advance bold innovations and practices for families across the country.