This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.
Every election is determined by the people who show up. -Larry J. Sabato
Our rights as citizens are inherently tied to our responsibility to vote. Moreover, as engaged members of the early childhood community we have a duty to vote in the best interest of young children all across our great country. This means we need to be mindful of and prepared for national, state, and local elections. The first step requires being registered to vote, the second is determining when and how to vote, and the third, and oftentimes the most daunting, is researching the candidates so you know how you will cast your ballot. Our work is not done once we know who we plan to vote for, we must also think about educating and empowering staff and families to vote as well.
We at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership recognize that many factors may make this election cycle more difficult to navigate, but no less important. If you are a family child care provider, the following document, Planning for the Polls: Voting Resource for Family Child Care Providers, may be helpful as you prepare for this election season.
If you are interested in learning more about virtual and in-person professional development opportunities for family child care providers contact the McCormick Center.
Robyn Kelton, M.A., is a Quality Training Specialist for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University (NLU). Robyn conducts training and research on the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) and the Program Administration Scale (PAS) and serves as a national reliability anchor for both tools. In addition, Robyn reviews BAS and PAS assessments for the assessor certification system. Robyn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Kansas and a Master of Arts degree in psychology with an advanced certificate of study in organizational psychology from NLU. Robyn is currently a doctoral student in the brain, behavior, and quantitative science psychology program at the University of Kansas. Prior to joining the McCormick Center, Robyn spent three years as a lead teacher in a kindergarten classroom for an after-school program. Robyn’s research interests include leadership in early care and education, family child care, child development, and autobiographical memory.
