Be an Effective Advocate

The work of advocacy and education requires persistence. It is ongoing and it can be inspiring. 

Our October webinar focused on the Maine State legislative process. Brooke Barron explained the system for moving a bill through the House and the Senate. You can view this video on our YouTube channel. Her discussion was helpful to understand how to make advocacy efforts more effective. 

Persistence is required.

It takes time to move a proposal forward. In several places, the draft can change, be dismissed or carried forward. Yet, she noted, “There are so many different ways to be involved and they’re all really important.”

Speaking at a hearing, writing letters, organizing events, each of these are valuable ways to generate discussion and, hopefully, positive change. 

A most useful piece of advice was regarding the legislative calendar. For example: November is the month when legislators are elected or re-elected. In just one month, December, there is the deadline to file bills (This is known as ‘cloture’). These can be ‘concept drafts’, ideas not fully formed or these can have more details and background.

Brooke Barron explained  “... a freshman legislator, who’s never served before, could get elected in the beginning of November and then by December they have to file their ideas for what bills they want to introduce. Which means if there’s something you really want to do, you should be… getting ready to talk to members or candidates about it now.” 

That’s a good reason to keep in touch with your local legislators. Help them to understand the issues that concern you. When requesting support for a specific proposal, hopefully your legislator already has some background about how this impacts constituents.

Testimonies, letters and conversations are all valuable ways to advocate. It is for further education. Years ago, my colleagues and I regularly visited the Massachusetts State House to rally support for a bill. Oftentimes we met with the legislator’s staff. 

These young men and women listened as we discussed the importance of human breast milk and issues for women’s health. This may have been new information for them. After a while, breast milk/breastfeeding was a familiar topic to them. They asked more questions, we had more thorough discussion. I felt that each visit and discussion helped bring the topic to the foreground and made the concern relevant to more people. After ten years, in 2024 the bill, which included licensure for IBCLCs in Massachusetts, was finally passed.

It was through the concerted effort of many advocates in Maine that the Paid Family and Medical Leave bill and the Donor Human Milk bill both became law.  Starting in 2026, families will be able to have paid time off to care for loved ones when needed. Regarding the Donor Milk, MaineCare now includes coverage for human donor milk for vulnerable babies. A bill from Senator Stacy Brenner, D-Scarborough expanded coverage of donor breast milk to all Mainers. Private insurance along with MaineCare will also cover for human donor milk for babies with a medical need.

These have been significant accomplishments for the health of Maine families. We have made, and we can continue to make, meaningful progress. 

Another effective advocacy effort is supporting the Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition! This enables us to provide education through webinars, newsletters, website resources and events.  We thank our donors and sponsors for continuing to contribute.

Our work is ongoing and it directly impacts Maine families. That is where we find inspiration.