Celebrating 20 Years: A Tradition of Fearless Voices for Children’s Health
Family Advocacy Day is a cornerstone of the Children’s Hospital Association’s (CHA) mission to amplify the voices of children and advance public policies that promote children’s health care. Celebrating its 20th year, Family Advocacy Day has grown from an ambitious idea into our marquee advocacy event of the year.
Each summer, children and families from across the country — many facing serious and complex medical conditions — gather in Washington, D.C., to share their stories with members of Congress.
“We often forget to give the people who are affected by policy a voice, especially children with complex medical conditions,” said Sharon Ladin, the event’s co-founder and former director of legislative advocacy at CHA. “You can't get any closer to telling the story of children's hospitals than hearing from children and families themselves.”
Over two decades, nearly 1,000 child advocates have visited Capitol Hill, meeting with more than 2,500 leaders directly responsible for passing laws in our country. These personal narratives put faces to the policies that affect millions of children and help lawmakers understand what’s truly at stake.
Meetings are only one part of the advocates’ interactions with elected officials. Kids have shared chicken tenders with senators in the dining room, joined representatives on the floor to bang the gavel, pressed the voting button during a bill proposal, and participated in mock Ways and Means Committee meetings.
Over time, the event has evolved to incorporate even more opportunities to demonstrate the unique care of children’s hospitals, including a showcase on Capitol Hill highlighting the range of hospital services, like Canine Companions and therapeutic recreation.
more interactions with elected officials. One staffer keeps
all of the kids' cards on a bulletin board above their desk
as a permanent fixture.
‘It was worth it’
Convening a group of medically complex kids from across the country who use wheelchairs, respirators, PICC lines, and all other sorts of equipment — along with coordinating transport to the offices on Capitol Hill and meeting dietary needs — was daunting at first.
“I remember that first event having a spreadsheet of what medical equipment we needed to get from Children's National for each kid, and it being a terrifying situation,” Ladin said. “But it worked out. The event was always well coordinated and mindful for individual needs. CHA’s vice president of public policy at the time, Pete Willson, knew this would bring a lot of challenges, but he took on the risk and decided it was worth it.”
He was right. The event has led to real change and raised awareness among lawmakers about how policies affect children so they are not forgotten in the process.
We also don’t forget that these fearless advocates are kids. The event gives them a chance to connect with other kids who are just like them — making long lasting friendships. And to wrap up the event, we celebrate them with a knockout party involving bands, games, activities, and more. “There's a value for families and kids of knowing that they're not alone, but also just being kids,” Ladin said. “It’s my favorite part of the event.”
Back to the future
The child advocates’ stories fuel our year-round advocacy efforts, reinforcing why investments in children’s health care matter. Every year, we focus on key priorities that are urgent and enduring.
That’s why Family Advocacy Day is as necessary today as it was 20 years ago — and will be 20 years from now.
“Still today, it is going to tell the story of how devastating Medicaid cuts could be,” Ladin said. “And I know Family Advocacy Day will continue on to make the same impact it did when we started it all these years ago.”
Catch up with several of our brave advocates from past years and discover how the event impacted their lives:
Learn more about CHA’s advocacy efforts and how we are working to ensure every child has access to high-quality, cost-effective health care services.
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