Advocate: University of Maine Cooperative Extension Center for Parents

University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Parenting Education

Care for Self

Understand

Guide

Nurture

Motivate

Advocate

QUICK LINKS

Terrorism and Children

How to Talk to Kids...
Family Issues Fact Sheets
The Growing Years
Gender Project
UMAINE Extension Home
UMCE Publications
UMCE Counties
Wonderwise Parent
CYFERNet (Children, Youth and Families Education and Research Network)

bell tower Advocate

"We need people to be the voices of the ‘voteless’ and to strengthen community resources."
Cynthia E. Johnson, Human Development Specialist, North Carolina State University.

To ADVOCATE is to stand up for and protect your children in their school and community. Effective parents use community resources to get their children’s and family’s needs met. You can seek out programs, institutions, and professionals that provide services important to your children and family. As an advocate, you represent your children’s needs to these people and organizations. Sometimes community activities or policies get in the way of your children’s growth, or make it hard for your family to function. You can speak up and take action to change those policies.
Children whose parents speak up for them are less likely to get lost between the cracks, or to be offered services that don’t fit. Parents who advocate tie their home to the community. This helps children feel more secure, because they can get their needs met more easily. As more parents learn to advocate, the community becomes a better place for children.

Practices for ADVOCATING

Find, use, and create community resources when needed. This will benefit your children and the community of children.

Get involved in social change. You can help create good environments for children and families.

Build relationships with family, neighborhood, and community groups.

What We Know About ADVOCATE

A basic part of parenting is to speak up for your children’s needs. You are their link to their community.

This material is adapted with permission. Smith, C. A., Cudaback, D., Goddard, H. W., & Myers-Walls, J. A. (1994). National Extension Parent Education Model. Manhattan, KS: Kansas Cooperative Extension System.

Putting knowledge to work with the people of Maine

University of Maine Cooperative Extension logo

A Member of the University of Maine System
Last Modified: 08/29/07
These pages are currently being maintained from the
Communications Office, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Send comments, suggestions or inquiries to www-questions@umext.maine.edu