Raise your voice for children, education

To the editor:

I am a mom and an early childhood professional. I own a child care facility and work with many at-risk children through a local non-profit.

Recently, I attended a training hosted by Save the Children Action Network, a non-partisan advocacy organization empowering voters around the state to press presidential candidates on how they plan to invest in early childhood.

The training helped connect me to other early childhood education and child care advocates and increased the urgency that candidates need to prioritize early childhood issues. It also gave me new tools to use when I attend candidate events in Linn County to ask presidential hopefuls how they plan to invest in early childhood.

It can be scary to talk to candidates, but if each of us steps up and raises our hands for children, we can make sure that no matter who is elected to office in 2016, they will know that Iowans care about early childhood.

Tracy Ehlert

Cedar Rapids