As a group leader, we suggest that you recruit 3 or more co-workers, friends, family members, or a small group of youth to come with you to the Capitol. Be sure to register your group, and remind everyone to bring their picture ID for Capitol security. Feel free to bring your children. If the number of people you are bringing has changed from the time you registered, please update your online registration.  If you need overnight accommodations, visit http://www.visitfrankfort.com

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BEFORE attending we suggest the following:

 

• Attend the November Advocacy Day Training.  The Advocacy Training in November is designed to give you the basic skills to be a group leader for Children’s Advocacy Day.  Register for the November training online when you sign up for February’s event.

 

• Make group or individual appointments with your senator and representative. Legislators generally enjoy meeting with their constituents. Prepare a brief description about the issue you are concerned with, including your contact information to leave with your legistlator.  You can make appointments with 2 or 3 people together.  To find out who your legislators are, their contact information, or more information about legislation, please visit www.lrc.ky.gov.  

• Begin building a relationship with your legislators now. Invite them to your organization to see what children’s services are available in their community or meet them for coffee to discuss children’s issues. Sometimes starting that process is more difficult once the session starts as they have hundreds of issues to think about and hundreds of people to meet.

• Encourage your legislator to attend the Children’s Advocacy Day morning rally in the Capitol Rotunda. If your legislator is interested in attending, please let Jenessa Bryan (jbryan@kyyouth.org) know and she can assist you in getting all the information you need.

•  Contact your community media about the event and send them a link to the press release.  The press release will be available online in February.  Contact Jenessa Bryan (jbryan@kyyouth.org) to  let us know and we can help you in getting it to your local paper, newsletter, or community meeting.

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DURING the event plan for the following:

• You will “guide” your group with our support. Lead your group to the Rotunda for the rally.  From there you (with guidance from event day planners) will lead your group to the committee meeting(s), legislative offices, and the cafeteria for lunch.  There will be members of the planning committee spread out across both the Capitol and the Annex to give everyone support, encouragement, and directions. All of this will be mapped out at the November advocacy training.  If you are not able to attend the November training, contact Jenessa Bryan at jbryan@kyyouth.org.

• If the meeting with your legislator gets cancelled:  This is normal. February is a very busy time at the Capitol. Be proactive and leave a Children’s Dollar and any materials on your issue with your legislators along with a personalized note to them. You can also leave a children’s dollar for the Governor, other committee chairs, or leadership.

•  Make sure all members of your group sign-in at registration in the morning and fill out the evaluation forms before they leave.  Registration will be on the 2nd floor Mezzanine in the Capitol Rotunda.  Evaluation forms may be turned in at the resource and planning room (room number to be announced that morning).

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AFTER the event, group leaders should do the following:

• Send a thank you card to your legislators to thank them for meeting with you. If your legislator had a bigger role in Children’s Day at the Capitol, be sure to thank them for helping us pull off this special event.

• Track your legislators’ votes on children’s bills by using a bill tracker like those offered on the Kentucky Youth Advocates website. You can also see how your legislator voted by using the Legislative Research Commission’s website at www.lrc.ky.gov.

• Distribute the children’s dollars to other advocates to send in to their legislators with a personal message about a children’s issue that is important to them. You will receive some of these to take home with you, but you can also download and print them from the Kentucky Youth Advocates website at www.kyyouth.org.  These can be sent all throughout the session.