Community Driven Advocacy: Utilizing Partnerships to Bolster Your Work

“There’s always an opportunity to become a better advocate,” said Jonathan Vasquez, government relations and advocacy assistant at Children’s Institute in Los Angeles. “That’s what the families and communities we serve at the Children’s Institute deserve—people who have the expertise and knowledge to be effective champions of the work.”

Using a whole-family approach, Children’s Institute helps children and families discover strengths and develop skills that create enduring success. For over 20 years, its Project Fatherhood program has provided parenting support to 15,000 men in caregiver roles in Los Angeles.

“After hearing directly from those we serve how often they felt disregarded, forgotten, and disposable, there was a desire to center the emotional and behavioral well-being of fathers in our work,” said Vasquez. “Centering community and lived experience in policy solutions ensures the dreams and aspirations of the communities we serve are reflected.”

After hearing the input of fathers and participating in several advocacy trainings hosted by Social Current, Children’s Institute recognized a need to advocate within all levels of government to bolster and expand this work.

Engaging over 100 fathers, community partners, and government agencies, Children’s Institute held a series of listening sessions that allowed LA County representatives to hear directly from fathers impacted by systemic inequity. These sessions resulted in 27 recommendations advanced by the county in areas including child services, mental health, economic support, and the justice system.

Children’s Institute’s Government Relations & Advocacy and Project Fatherhood teams cultivated a network of elected officials to champion father well-being and amplify a new narrative about fathers. The effort declared June “Fatherhood Well-Being Month” each year in the state of California through House Resolution 36.

With several federally funded initiatives—including Project Fatherhood—Children’s Institute seeks to expand its advocacy efforts at the federal level. Recently, the Government Relations & Advocacy team attended Social Current’s 2024 Advocacy Amplified Training and Hill Day, where they were able to advocate for Head Start funding to further propel their programs forward. Social Current staff also reviewed and provided feedback on their public policy and advocacy agenda to ensure greater impact.

“We are so thankful for our partnership with Social Current,” said Terry Kim, director of government relations and advocacy at Children’s Institute. “They facilitate opportunities to connect with organizations across the country, enhancing our impact and supporting our growth to be stronger advocates for our communities.”

Social Current offers customizable solutions to help organizations expand their advocacy efforts and increase their impact–from advocacy and government relations advising, strategy development, and more.

To learn more about Children’s Institute’s father engagement and government relations work, participate in Children’s Institute’s workshop at SPARK 2024. Registration is now open for SPARK 20204, to be held Oct. 21-22 in Denver.