I am a Parent Ambassador.

I'm so excited, I just can't hide it.. Sounds like a horrible cliche, or the lyrics to an 80's song, but I really am! Earlier this week I found out I was selected as one of five parents going to Washington D.C. to represent parents all across the nation. For the last year, I have been involved in the WSA Parent Ambassador program. It's a new program, only in it's second year. This group is the first in the nation, and has been so successful, that Head Start and ECEAP programs around the nation want to model it. Many people ask me "what is the Parent Ambassador program, or what do you do?" If you've paid attention to my FaceBook or emails over the last year, I've been involved in a lot of different advocacy issues and been active on educating myself and others around issues that concern me. The Parent Ambassador program has given me the tools I need to advocate for myself, my children and other people's children. YOUR CHILDREN!

Through this program I've become more knowledgeable about early learning, voter education and registration, just to name a few things. I've become a part of an Early Learning Coalition in Grays Harbor, that is responsible for trying to make a better community of Early Learning between daycares, preschools and schools. I've served on many committees through this program. I was a part of a committee that created a program called WaKids, a kindergarten assessment program or 'tool' to be used Statewide for Public Elementary's. This program is in it's pilot year, and my daughter's school is participating! I can't wait to see the results, and present them to the Governor.

I'm also serving on a committee for the Washington State Child Support Division as a parent voice on the regulations or changes that will be made to the system. My voice will be heard here, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm serving on a committee for Head Start and ECEAP collaborations, to make the programs more in sync. I've had a great experience with this committee and am excited for the future of it. I feel valued as a parent, and the people in charge of all these committees actually make me feel like my opinion is valuable to all of these programs. I take my experiences, and those of my friends, families, co workers, and school community to all of these committees and help to make important decisions.

Earlier in the year, when the Governor was working on the budget and trying to make cuts to vital programs that affect not only myself but those around me, I was asked to testify to our State Legislators about how cutting these programs would affect a person like me. I testified in front of about 20 Legislators and I was scared to DEATH. But I did. With the support of the PA program, I stood up and told my story. It was a very SHORT story to meet the cut off of one minute because of the vast amount of people that wanted to share. But afterwards, the champion Representative of Early Learning came up to me  and wanted to know more about what I knew, and how I would be affected, and how I thought cuts to these programs (mostly childcare subsidies) would affect people of Washington State served through these programs. I felt honored. I NEVER would have done it if it weren't for getting involved in this program.

I rallied at the capital for Washington Kids, and met with 6 senators in one day. I left copies of a story about my daughter with them, attached with a picture, and how some of Washington's programs changed my daughters life. I was contacted later thanking me for sharing my story. That's not something that happens to most people on a daily basis.

I've served on a couple of other committees, and groups and been involved in a lot of other things. Those above are just a few. On a daily basis I engage in conversations with people educating them on these issues and how they can be involved. Your voice can make a difference. Your actions can. Early Learning shapes our future, and it's important that people understand. I have found a passion that I never knew existed, and I love sharing the fire inside me now.

As part of the Parent Ambassador program, we had the chance to apply to go to Washington D.C. to a National Conference. We will be able to see the Federal level of laws being made, participate in the conference as the only 5 people there as parents. It's a pretty big honor to have been selected to participate at this level. There are no words to describe just how happy I am.  All of my hard work in advocacy has paid off in so many ways, and this is right up there in the top two!

 I just can't believe in a little over a month, I will be there representing parents all over the nation.. Such an honor, and I am so blessed to be a part of it!!