Child Advocacy Toolkit
" Anyone who can learn the Krebs cycle can learn to be a child advocate." J.A. Paulson
Welcome to the first on-line edition of the Child Advocacy Toolkit! This toolkit has been designed to be a quick and useful reference tool for you to use throughout your residency training. It also details for you the competencies and expectations for your advocacy training while you are here at the University of Virginia. This site is under development and additional materials will be added in the very near future!
Individual patient advocacy is such an important part of all clinical care that all pediatricians must be skilled and comfortable on the individual level. But, beyond this, we must also develop the skills necessary to advocate for children and their families on a much broader level - within the community, state, and nation. As a pediatrician, you are an expert in child health and what is best for children. Our discipline has a long tradition of working to improve the health and well-being of all children. As Abraham Jacobi said, "the pediatrician is to sit in and control school boards, health departments, and legislatures. He is the legitimate advisor to the judge and the jury, and a seat for the physician in the councils of the republic is what the people have a right to demand."
The goal of this toolkit and the advocacy activities that will be available to you throughout your training is to provide you with the tools, skills, and experiences necessary to establish your own individual advocacy foundation. Use them to the advantage of our children and their health!
Table of Contents
Child Advocacy Competencies and Objectives
American Academy of Pediatrics: State Government Affairs
American Academy of Pediatrics: Department of Federal Affairs
Tips for a Successful Legislative Visit
Child Advocacy at Different Levels