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Advocating for Children’s Environmental Health at the Capitol
Credit: ECHO Team
Last month, I had the opportunity to represent Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) and join other advocates who support young children’s right to access healthy environments at a variety of events in Washington, D.C.
The Future We’re Building Symposium
First on the agenda was “The Future We’re Building Symposium,” a collaborative event by the Children’s Environmental Health Network and The Center for Environmental Policy at American University’s School of Public Affairs.
This event brought together national leaders, students, advocates, and experts in children’s environmental health to reflect on the last decade of progress and envision the path ahead.
Speakers included Leah Defenbaugh, Director of Youth Development Projects, Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board; Alissa Mwenelupembe, Chief Early Learning Quality and Research Officer, National Association for the Education of Young Children; and LaTricea Adams, Founder, CEO, and President, Young Gifted and Green.
It was inspiring to join these leaders and others like long-time National Wildlife Federation partner Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Children’s Environmental Health Network Executive Director, to discuss topics like “Healthy Places to Live, Learn, and Play.”
It was reinvigorating to know that ECHO’s vision—a future where every young child has rich and engaging daily opportunities to play and learn in high-quality outdoor environments that support healthy development and lifelong connections to the natural world—is so well-aligned with this national movement.
The ECHO team is proud to be actively engaged and working hard to meet emerging challenges like the impact of climate on young children and ongoing priorities like environmental justice.
Childcare Supply Network National Showcase
Next up was the “Childcare Supply Network National Showcase,’ part of the National Association of Counties 2026 Legislative Conference where partners, stakeholders, and officials from all levels of government came together to learn about the economic and social transformation that comes from improving local childcare supply, accessibility, and affordability.
I was thrilled to connect in person with valued ECHO partners that I have only previously had the pleasure to engage with on Zoom, like Low Income Investment Fund’s (LIIF) Nicole Barcliff, Senior Policy Director and Shelly Masur, Early Childhood Education Vice President.
The reunion with LIIF felt like a homecoming, since the ECHO team worked closely with LIIF to support two cohorts of early childhood education centers and family child care homes in the DC area over the last several years.
We provided early care and education providers with professional development and resources; hands-on, individually tailored design workshops; design assistance; and, in some cases, support in navigating the district’s permitting and construction processes.
It was deeply gratifying to see the direct connection between these important gatherings and ECHO’s impact on the ground. We know from our pre- and post-engagement surveys that these providers are spending more time outdoors with the children in their care and they now have the skills and resources they need to help children experience the wonders of the natural world, inspiring lifelong environmental stewardship.
On Saturday, it was inspiring to take a break from convening to visit the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. I also highly recommend a visit to the National Museum of Women in the Arts!
National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Public Policy Forum
Sunday, it was back to work! I attended the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Public Policy Forum. This event was a multi-day advocacy experience designed to help early childhood educators exercise their powerful voices on policy to make themselves heard.
We enjoyed a packed agenda of workshops, keynotes, panels, strategy sessions, and conversations with policymakers on Capitol Hill. I’m grateful to Cameron Fall, Board member of the Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children, for his coordination and guidance in preparing us for our day on Capitol Hill.
We had the opportunity to meet with staff members from the offices of Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet to speak about the importance of sustaining public funding for affordable, high-quality child care. I also had the pleasure of meeting with staff for my own Congressman, Joe Neguse, and appreciated a robust conversation about how important child care is to families with young children in my small rural county.
Washington, D.C. was especially hopping that day, with the State of the Union taking place in the evening—there was some “wildlife” spotted in the Hart Senate Office Building—the Portland Protest Frogs (see header photo!).
The week was a huge success, and, on behalf of ECHO, we are grateful to the George B. Storer Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for supporting our efforts to transform early childhood settings and systems to ensure that every young child has opportunities to thrive in healthy outdoor environments every day.
