Position Paper 2 - Interest Group or Issue
Hannah Diffee
Professor Reppert
Media and Politics
Oct. 2024
Position Paper 2 - Interest Group or Issue
Note: This paper focuses heavily on what Start Early is as an organization, with a brief overview of its media strategies at the end.
What are Interest Groups?
Many organizations in America aim to shape public policy. These organizations are called interest groups, loosely or formally organized entities that "work to encourage or prevent changes in public policy without trying to be elected themselves" (ThoughtCo.). Interest groups represent the interests or values of American citizens, serving as liaisons between lawmakers and the public. Through lobbying, they influence legislators to make decisions benefitting their own causes.
Start Early
Start Early, formerly known as the Ounce of Prevention Fund, is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1982, Start Early (SE) is committed to "providing equitable access to quality early learning for children living in under-resourced communities." Providing early interventions can break the cycle of poverty and lead to better lifetime outcomes for parents and children. "For every dollar invested in early childhood programs, society yields a $6.30 return, improving education, employment and health outcomes and saving on later remediation costs," the group claims. The organization firmly believes that the first five years of life are crucial for development and overall well-being.
“Inequality starts at birth and the impact lasts a lifetime. A child’s brain develops faster from birth to age 5 than at any other time. Change the first five years and you change everything.”
Start Early recognizes an "opportunity gap" in potential, achievement, and educational aspirations due to the circumstances children are born into, such as their communities, socioeconomic status, and race or ethnicity. It follows a research-based model to combat this gap and equip children, mothers, families, and early childhood professionals with the resources necessary to succeed.
Start Early's Programs
Start Early leads several Direct Service Programs and Early Learning Networks. Each program, centered around research, policy, innovation, and connecting communities, provides families and young children with quality care.
The Home Visiting & Doula Network oversees over 30 home-visiting programs across Illinois. Pregnant women in the programs are paired with doulas, trained professionals who provide support at all stages of pregnancy. Doulas collaborate with pregnant women and their families to discuss fetal development, the labor process, and birth plans so clients understand all their options and choose what is best for them.
Once a mother gives birth, she may be paired with a home visitor, a professional who works directly with families to provide support and strategies for fostering healthy relationships and developing healthy children. Home visiting has been the core of SE's work since its founding. In 2023, the organization provided quality home visits to 298,979 children nationwide.
"By partnering with families from pregnancy or birth through a child’s earliest years, home visitors support healthy parent-child relationships, promote child development, and encourage family health and well-being, laying a strong foundation for a child’s learning and future success in life."
Start Early built its own early childhood education facility, Educare Chicago, in 2000 to serve the families who lost their homes after the demolition of the Robert Taylor Homes on the South Side of Chicago. Since then, SE has developed the Educare Learning Network, consisting of 25 "birth-through-age-5" schools in 15 states. These schools follow a research-based model similar to SE's other programs, providing support that extends beyond the classroom. Last year, the Educare Network reached over 19,000 children.
Start Early partners with organizations throughout Cook County, Illinois, including CASA, First Step, El Hogar del Niño, and One Hope United, to serve more children in under-resourced areas.
Start Early's Lobbying & Advocacy Efforts
Policy and advocacy are at the heart of Start Early's work. The following are goals that the group aims to accomplish through its advocacy:
- "improve early childhood experiences for all young children through programs and policies that support early learning and care, maternal and child health and family engagement"
- "sustain and increase public investments for quality, comprehensive early childhood education"
- "support policies and service delivery systems that increase access to high-quality, affordable early childhood education and positively impact young children’s learning, health and family outcomes"
In Illinois, Start Early is working to strengthen the infrastructure of early care and learning programs, increase investments in and strengthen the design of these programs, recruit and maintain a qualified early learning workforce, and improve the overall health and well-being of children and their families. Its goals in Washington state are similar. There, it also promotes a statewide prenatal to age 5 education system and fights for racial equity.
Left: Image Contains Link
Start Early has spent $430,000 on lobbying this year in the following areas: federal budget & appropriations, education, welfare, taxes, and health issues.
In 2023, the organization backed H.R. 4571, the Child Care Investment Act of 2023. This bipartisan act would update current tax policies to make childcare more affordable and accessible. Childcare provisions in the federal tax code have not been updated in decades and, therefore, do not consider current inflation rates. As a result, many families with young children need more assistance than they currently receive. The bill would increase and expand the Child and Dependant Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), the Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (45F), and the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP).
Media Strategy
SE is very transparent about its beliefs and mission. Its website provides a comprehensive overview of its work with various resources for families and educators who want to become involved. The website's layout allows the group to easily share the impact and necessity of early childhood education.
All social media icons contain links.
Start Early previously maintained a YouTube channel but has not uploaded new content since last year. The organization shared webinars, advocacy videos, and interviews to educate viewers on important issues. These videos are informative and succeed at spreading SE's goals and highlighting what it has accomplished in the field of early childhood education.
Many of the videos SE has created are not on YouTube. Sharing those on the video platform as "Shorts" or long-form videos would help the organization have a wider reach. Advertising via YouTube Shorts could attract young parents, who may have shorter attention spans than older adults.
Start Early maintains an active Instagram account with over 1,000 followers. The group regularly shares feature stories about families in the program, tips for preparing children for school, and guides to help parents nurture their children's emotional and physical well-being. The posts are visually appealing, with the organization's signature color (purple) appearing throughout its social media feed.
The organization could use features on the platform, such as stories, story highlights, and reels, more frequently to engage with followers. Many of the story highlights are outdated (from 100-200 weeks ago), so they do not accurately represent Start Early's current work. The organization should keep its social media profiles active and current to keep users informed and maintain relevance in the app's algorithm.
Facebook is Start Early's most popular platform, with a follower count of nearly 10,000. The profile features the same content as its Instagram, with the addition of a "Featured" section that showcases various user-led fundraisers. SE's content on the platform is interesting and serves the purpose of the account.
While many aspects could be improved, Start Early has an engaging media presence that demonstrates how its work and advocacy impact children nationwide.
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