The Parents Advocating for Child Care (PACC) Fellowship is an opportunity for parents and caregivers of young children in child care to learn how to champion for change, specifically for early childhood care and education. The Fellowship is an 8-month virtual training program to explore what’s working and what’s not working in child care and to learn how to advocate for the changes you want to see.

During these 8 months, you will have the opportunity to learn:

• How to use your power as a parent to make change
• About policy, and how to influence decision makers
• How to use data to support your idea
• How to advocate

The first cohort of PACC Fellows graduated in June 2021. Learn more about the results here!

Time Commitment

All meetings will be conducted virtually.

• Monthly 1 hour meetings with the entire PACC (Fellows from multiple counties across the state)
• Monthly 1.5 hour meetings with your local PACC (Fellows from your county)
• Monthly 30-minute coaching sessions between you and the your community engagement lead
• Approximately 2 hours of additional independent work monthly

Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the Fellowship, you must:

• Be a parent/caregiver of a child in child care
• Live in Brown, Dodge, Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, or Racine Counties
• Have access to technology (internet access and device, like a smartphone, tablet, or laptop) and ability to use this technology during all Fellowship activities
• Be passionate about wanting to make a difference

Application

Applications are no longer being accepted at this time.

FAQs

Does the PACC Fellowship cost anything? Nope! The PACC Fellowship is free. In fact, Fellows will be paid for participating in meetings and coachings and for any work done for the Fellowship.

What does it mean to advocate? An advocate is someone who speaks up in support of a decision they want to see made. For example, the PACC fellowship will teach you how to advocate to decision makers, like the mayor or governor, on behalf of early childhood care and education around things that are important to you, such as quality, safety, and cost.

I can only participate for a few sessions. Is that okay? We ask that when you commit to the PACC Fellowship, you commit to the full 8-month experience. While we understand that you may have to miss a meeting due to unforeseen circumstances, we do expect you to keep your monthly commitments.

I live outside one of the counties listed. Can I still participate? At this time, we are prioritizing parents that reside in one of the six counties listed.

How will Fellows be chosen? Fellows will be chosen based on a short application process.

When does the Fellowship start and end? The Fellowship will begin in November and conclude in June.

Contact us

Have additional questions? Please reach out to the individual listed below for your location!

• In Brown County, contact info@achievebrowncounty.org.
• In Dodge/Jefferson County, contact Melinda Mueller at mmueller@watertownhealthfoundation.com.
• In Kenosha County, contact info@buildingourfuturekc.org.
• In Milwaukee County, contact info@milwaukeesucceeds.com. 
• In Racine County, contact Elizabeth Erickson at elizabeth.erickson@career2cradle.org.