Advocacy Action Plan

What inspires and excites me the most about my advocacy plan and being an advocate is having the opportunity to represent the voices of many.  I want to be a vessel for children and their families, so it is crucial that I find ways to invest quality time to observe the issues children and families are facing in their community.  Researching complex issues, networking, and raising awareness are important factors that help with finding solutions.  The most fulfilling part about advocacy is raising awareness, because it provides true understanding and multiple perspectives on any issue.  I want to be effective advocate, and I learned that an effective advocate requires dedication, knowledge of advocacy issues, and developing responsive relationship with families and children through communication.  I also have to be alert about the needed changes within my advocacy plan, so it can foster care for children and families.  Time is a challenge I encounter related to engaging in the advocacy efforts.  Being a full time working and full time student, I realized that advocacy can be very time consuming.  It’s almost like starting your own business, and like a business I have to focus on the objective and purpose of my plan as well as my target audience.  Sometimes throughout the planning different things can affect changes within the plan but not the objective.  I believe that receiving advice and help from others can ease the weight of feeling overwhelm.  A group discussion allows people to come together who share common purpose can assist with implementing my advocacy action plan.  The most crucial factor when encouraging others as well as myself is learning to be an active listener.  An active listener identifies and expresses the need of families, children, and the community.  Active listening will encourage people how to work to together and continue the process of making a difference.