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)
