Title: (Optional) Identify strategies to advocate for policies and laws for the benefit of families and children.
Course: Child Development and Parenting (19255-36) > Section: Evaluating Employment and Economic Policies that Affect Families

Identification of strategies should include choosing a concern, such as

- existing laws, policies, and regulations that affect the chosen moral, ethical, or social issue
- any legislative action or other decisions pending
- recommended changes to laws, policies, and regulations
- ways to garner public support for change
- ways to affect legislation.

Teacher Resources:

- Capitol Classroom, Virginia General Assembly
- How a Bill Becomes a Law in Virginia, Virginia General Assembly Publications
- The Legislative Process: Overview, Library of Congress
- Stand Up, FCCLA National Program (available in FCCLA portal)
- American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) Advocacy
- Policy Advocacy Toolkit, National Council on Family Relations (NCFR)

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- Why should individuals be aware of legislation affecting families?
- What would happen if citizens were not allowed to effect changes in society? What would happen if no one had the interest or energy to try to make changes?
- What can individuals do to ensure that policymaking in the future will support families?
- What are some laws or policies that should be changed or modified? How do those laws or policies compare to those in other countries?

Communication

- Where do individuals acquire their beliefs and attitudes about legislation and government support of families?
- What communication skills and strategies do individuals need to convince people (including politicians) of the benefits of change?
- What is the role of technology in improving the efficiency of agencies that collect child support?

Leadership

- Why is it important to be aware of how an individual can affect the legislative process?
- What are the most important facts to know about the local, state, and federal legislative processes?
- What social change could strengthen families and protect the rights of children?
- What leadership skills would one need to present an idea for change?

Management

- What information is needed to begin the process of making changes?
- What are some reliable sources of information about a selected issue, the legislative process, and the challenges of and strategies for affecting change?
- What steps should one take to bring an issue to the attention of student council, school administration, local government administration, and state legislature?