How often have you said, "You know, what they should do is ..." about some sort of public policy issue? In the privacy of our own homes and offices, solving the world's problems seems so easy. What if you could bottle that idea, that opinion, that passion and actually turn it into action or use it to influence lawmakers? What an amazing thing that would be!

Now...what if I told you that it was actually possible?

It's called advocacy. As child advocates, part of our mission is to help you become a better advocate. You've taken the first step by reading this and signing up for our alerts on email or social media. The next step is spreading the message.

Lawmakers need to hear from their constituents. They need input from you in order to properly represent the district. Your state representative and state senator need information from the district, and you have the information they need. Take time to tell your legislators about the importance of child care. Let him or her know that Medicaid is vital to the well-being of you and your neighbors. Tell lawmakers that moderate- and low-income Arkansans are not the only ones that benefit from state programs - these programs also generate economic activity that helps everyone.

Over the summer when you encounter your representatives - and more often than not, candidates for office - be sure to ask them where they stand on kids issues. Do they support increasing funding for child care? What programs do they plan to cut from Medicaid? Are they willing to ask corporations and the top 1% of earners to pay a little extra in taxes to help invest in our state's future? Are they supporters of ARKids First, one of our most successful children's health programs?

If you need help, or more information, you can always visit our website and Facebook page. You can go here now to see more about how to get involved. We want to make sure you have all the tools you need to be an effective advocate. If you have questions, ask them. We want to help you advocate for our state's children and low-income families.