Take a Trip Upriver

If you've worked in human services, you've probably heard the story about the babies in the river. For those who haven't, the story goes something like this:

Three people are walking on a path along a river when they spot a baby in the water. One jumps in, grabs the baby, and brings the baby to the riverbank, but then they notice there are more babies in the water. The first person keeps fishing babies out, but there are too many to get them all.

The second person jumps in the water and starts showing the babies how to float on their backs, dogpaddle, and other ways to keep their heads above water. But there are still more babies coming down the river.

The third person starts running up the path. "Where are you going?" say the two in the water. "We need your help!" The third person replies, "I'm going to find who's tossing all the babies in the river!"

We can argue over which of these three techniques is the most effective, but the truth is we need people occupied with doing all three things to solve the problems faced by humans in our social environments, whether we are talking poverty, mental health, child welfare, or what have you. We need to provide one-on-one services, empower groups to help themselves, and address the policies and other social factors that result in problems for people in marginalized groups.

I just spent an evening with my former Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA) colleagues celebrating COFCCA's 50th Anniversary. Today they are leading child welfare agencies' delegates in their annual day of meetings with state legislators. While COFCCA advocates all year, they know the messages from those who spend most of their time in the water with the babies has power to influence the people whose policies can keep more babies from falling in.

Direct-service agencies and individuals can increase their impact addressing social problems through multiple advocacy routes. If your agency is connected to a larger group or association, are you finding time to participate in their advocacy efforts? Does your agency have a particular cause or problem that you want to get on your elected officials' radar? Or are you a solo or small-group practitioner who wants to impact policies but you don't know how to start?

Advocacy campaigns don't have to be huge or time-consuming to be effective. I can help you identify what makes sense for you and your cause, be it connecting with other individuals or groups, getting meetings with the right local officials, or crafting an effective larger-scale campaign. Expand your overall impact by adding a trip upriver this year!

#nonprofits #advocacy #humanservices #childwelfare