This CAC2 webinar will begin by providing an overview of Federal advocacy priorities, current engagement opportunities around the federal legislation Give Kids a Chance Act and the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, and information about Alliance Action Days in February.  It will also include a strong explanation of CAC2’s State Advocacy Vision.

WEBINAR OUTLINE

Welcome (Speaker: Misha Mehta)

• Activate advocates around two federal bills before the January CR.
• Recruit and build the state advocacy network for 2026.

Federal Advocacy and Alliance Action Days – February 2026 (Speakers: Michael Henry and Ann Ramer)

Overview of Priority Federal Bills

• Give Kids a Chance Act
   Purpose, urgency, current momentum
   Surge in recent constituent messages and new Senate co-sponsors
• Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act
   Why it matters for families
   Current status and what’s needed before year-end

Calls to Action

• SoftEdge alerts (single link for both bills)
• Letter-writing campaign (Nancy Goodman’s teams)
• Identify remaining priority state and
• Encourage advocates in unrepresented states to mobilize

Overview of Action Days

• What Action Days are
• Why early planning matters
• What advocates can expect if they attend
• How CAC2 will support participants

State Advocacy Building (Speakers: Annette Parker and Ginny McLean)

Why State Infrastructure Matters

• States influence funding, and care access
• Year-round activation capacity is essential

Call to Action: Recruiting State Leads

• Current number of state leads (6) vs. 44 open states
• What a state lead does (time commitment, interviews, mobilization)
• How leads help close gaps during federal pushes
• Invitation for attendees to volunteer
• Map of current CAC2 activity

Bubble Up Platform Preview

• What Bubble Up is and why it matters
• How it will support communication, tracking, and activation
• Soft, high-level preview (no full tutorial—platform still in build phase)