THE CHALLENGE
Ensure National Head Start Association (NHSA) members and stakeholders have the right messages, tools and resources to help them successfully advocate for increased Early Head Start funding so 500,000 more infants, toddlers and families get the wraparound support they need to thrive.
THE RESULT
Research-backed, tailored messaging that speaks directly to the issues on policy makers’ minds
A robust toolkit with flexible, customizable resources that advocates across the country can use
A messaging training
A storytelling campaign that centers the lived experiences of families and caregivers
Provided Services
The National Head Start Association (NHSA) believes every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, can succeed — but also knows kids need the right services to thrive.
Unfortunately, insufficient funding means many infants, toddlers and families are falling behind. That’s why NHSA launched a campaign to advocate for Early Head Start funding. The team knew they needed to empower a nationwide group of advocates—equipped with the right tools and resources to reach policy makers and influencers—to succeed. That’s where Forthright came in!
To create a successful campaign, Forthright knew the right place to start was with the data. Our team launched the project with an in-depth research phase, identifying the current landscape, the opportunities to change the landscape and the target audiences the campaign needed to make change happen.
The team started by analyzing:
NHSA’s internal and external materials, including a recent NHSA messaging audit;
Pritzker Children’s Initiative’s National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers research;
Research and materials from partner organizations such as ZERO TO THREE, the First Five Years Fund and the Foundation for Child Development; and
Research and advocacy materials from organizations such as The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Centers for Disease Control, the Commonwealth Fund, MomsRising and the Center for American Progress.
Forthright then used this data to inform the second phase of research, which included an in-depth landscape analysis focused on the experiences of pregnant women, young children and families, especially those from low-income households.
Finally, Forthright distilled the research into themes and keywords that resonate with four audiences—policy makers and policy influencers, NHSA partner organizations, business leaders and parents and families—with an emphasis on messaging that resonates with policy makers and policy influencers. Forthright then created overarching core messaging, using themes that matter to policy makers and NHSA stakeholders.
We used the robust research phase and data-backed core messaging as a foundation to create:
Clear, compelling talking points—tailored to each nuanced target audience—empowering NHSA members to break through the noise
A robust advocacy toolkit that Early Head Start supporters can easily use in their work, including:
social media tips, graphics and posts;
a case study template and examples;
a sample Op-Ed and tips for getting published;
a sample email and phone script for policy maker outreach; and
a guide for meetings or site visits with policy makers.
A training to help advocates use the toolkit and reach critical audiences, from business leaders to families
A custom media list of journalists covering early childhood, the economy and workforce needs, along with a customized pitch letter—getting the message in front of the most important audiences
A series of eight blogs featuring families and Early Head Start providers across the country, building a powerful storytelling component into the campaign
Now, NHSA has the research, messaging and resources to successfully advocate for change. And, the campaign is working—the teams’ messaging has been shared by national policy makers on social media, and NHSA has received overwhelming support from parents and stakeholders for the initiative. Even better? As part of this partnership and advocacy, we saw a $960 million funding increase for 2023 over 2022!
“Forthright helped us to tell a series of stories about topics important to us like homelessness, immigration, foster care, and social inclusion. It has been great to work with an organization that values equity and inclusion as much as we do.”
— Emily Wagner,
National Head Start Association, Director of Communications
