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What We <br />Believe <br />Preamble to Our Manifesto <br />To ensure that all children have equitable <br />outcomes in education, health, and life, we <br />must view engaging parents and developing <br />their leadership as "Mission Critical." A parent <br />"The manifesto means we are finally <br />— by which we mean anyone who is the primary <br />addressing race equity and parent <br />caregiver for a child — is their child's first teacher <br />leadership. This is a new lens. If you <br />and best advocate. And research shows that <br />look around racism is everywhere, <br />when parents are engaged as partners and <br />but race is never addressed. Even <br />leaders in the programs, services and policies <br />asa child, I dealt with racism, but it <br />that support young children's learning and healthy <br />was never addressed. It's important <br />development, children thrive and systems improve. <br />to have it be part of the manifesto. <br />We're putting it on the front page." <br />Families want to work with early childhood <br />systems to improve outcomes for their kids, but <br />—Lisa Melara, <br />face barriers. Rooted in structural racism and bias, <br />Parent Leader, Boston, MA <br />which pervade the attitudes, behaviors, policies <br />and practices of these systems and our society as <br />a whole, these barriers prevent many parents of <br />color from being true partners and leaders in their <br />child's healthy development and early learning. <br />This Manifesto and its 5 Commitments for <br />Change outlines our vision, goals and strategies <br />for the transformation we want to make so <br />that all parents are supported and empowered <br />to give their children a strong start in life. <br />This Manifesto builds on the groundbreaking <br />work of Strengthening Families, which <br />at its heart is about changing how service <br />providers interact with families to support <br />them in building protective factors. This <br />Manifesto seeks to further transform systems <br />to eliminate the barriers families of color face <br />in their day-to-day interactions with systems <br />and elevate their leadership and power. <br />,,Iwiflst, F,: Lquih&P,,,ant LeBUalshlp In Early C WI lh.-dEr UNC Page2 <br />