{"id":88944,"date":"2026-01-12T04:55:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T12:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.seattleschild.com\/?p=88944"},"modified":"2026-01-13T20:25:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T04:25:01","slug":"why-i-return-again-and-again-to-have-a-heart-for-kids-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seattleschild.com\/why-i-return-again-and-again-to-have-a-heart-for-kids-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I return again and again to Have a Heart for Kids Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s an understatement to say that politics in our country is pretty divisive right now. I know many of us are feeling at a loss as to how we can create the kind of future we want to see for our kids, our families, and our communities. <\/span><\/p>\n

Something that gives me hope is focusing on the actions I can take close to home, here in Washington state.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Returning again<\/h4>\n

I have attended Have a Heart for Kids Day<\/a>, Children\u2019s Alliance\u2019s annual lobby day, multiple times. The reason I keep returning to this event is the sense of collective purpose that it gives me. It is such a fun day filled with great energy and it\u2019s a real opportunity to connect with other advocates and speak up for what matters to us. <\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, it gives me the chance to meet directly with my elected officials, share my experience with them, and tell them how they can help make a positive impact in our district.<\/span><\/p>\n

Advocating with the next generation<\/b><\/h4>\n

When I was a young child, my grandfather worked as a lobbyist for education and he was very much a mentor for me. His work gave me an early insight into the barriers many kids face in getting the high-quality education they deserve, and also how advocates can come together to fight for the change they want to see.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I\u2019ve taken my kids with me to Have a Heart for Kids Day in the past.<\/a> I feel that it is important for them to have a solid understanding of the legislative process and how to engage with their legislators, so that they can speak up for their interests both now and after they reach voting age. <\/span><\/p>\n

What better place to do that than at our State Capitol? It was so exciting to show them that the doors to the (slightly intimidating) Capitol Building are open to them and that it is their right to speak up for what they believe in.<\/span><\/p>\n

What you need to know about attending lobby day<\/b><\/h4>\n

Lobby days are open to everyone who lives in Washington state.\u00a0<\/span>Children\u2019s Alliance is offering trainings and briefings in the morning to give attendees details about specific bills they are working on, as well as tips on how to have an effective meeting with your legislators.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meeting your legislators is not a requirement of attending Have a Heart for Kids Day. If you do attend a meeting with a legislator, you will likely be in a group with other advocates from your district as well as a member of the Children\u2019s Alliance team.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2026 Have a Heart for Kids Day will be happening on January 20th. <\/strong>Register on the Children\u2019s Alliance website by Jan. 14.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

This article was originally published in February, 2025.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Pressure builds to boost WA school funding<\/a><\/p>\n

Education Advocacy Day: Hundreds expected to rally in Olympia January 30<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Habitat for Humanity program makes homeownership more attainable<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Inspired by ‘a sense of collective purpose’<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1144,"featured_media":89078,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[772,353,1022],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-take-action","category-whatparentsaretalkingabout"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHave a Heart for Kids Day: Advocacy for Washington families<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One mom shares why she attends Have a Heart for Kids Day each year \u2014 to advocate for Washington families and make a difference.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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