Advocacy Resource Centre

Tip Sheet: Do's and Don'ts of Child Advocacy

Do:

• Recognize that you make a difference – to children and youth, and to their families.
  
  
• You have the power to make change in the community.
  
  
• Be well prepared as an advocate – map out your key messages.
  
  
• Be clear about what you’d like to happen, what action you’d like taken.
  
  
• Be patient and persistent.  Keep in mind that change doesn’t happen overnight.
  
  
• Create and cultivate relationships with opinion leaders and decision-makers.
  
  
• Whenever possible, work with others – including people from other sectors.
  
  
• Put a human face to your issue by telling your patients’ stories.
  
  
• Be positive; adversarial relationships rarely result in positive change.
  
  
• Always be sure of your facts; you want to be seen as a “source” of children’s health information.
  
  
• Stick to issues that correspond to your experience and expertise.
  
  
• Present yourself as constructive, well prepared, reasonable, well informed and solutions-oriented.
  
  
• Take the time to thank those who have listened to you, or helped you advance your issue.
  
  
• Recognize that if you aren’t successful this time around, you may be building the foundation for positive change in the future.
  
  
• Be realistic. Remember change is about compromise.

• Invest a lot of time and energy in something that you don’t have strong feelings about; you’ll be more effective if you really believe in your issue.
  
  
• Bite off more than you can chew.  If you only have time for a phone call – then that’s what you can do.
  
  
• Assume that your audience knows the issue as well as you do; explain, simplify, and go over the basics (several times, if necessary).
  
  
• Use jargon, technical terms or acronyms (unless you’re certain you’ll be understood).
  
  
• Criticize and complain – negativity will turn off the people who have power or influence to make change.
  
  
• Underestimate public officials.  With very rare exceptions, they are intelligent and want to do the right thing.
  
  
• Leave an influential person’s office without leaving behind your business card!

Last updated: December 2009