Overview
In Pennsylvania, Children First Action Fund demonstrated the growing political power of child care voters by helping elect Senator James Malone in a district historically viewed as noncompetitive.
Through its Child Care Voter campaign, the organization identified, educated, and mobilized parents around early childhood issues and the candidate that supported their cause.
With support from Impact Fellows Action Fund, Children First Action Fund used its 501(c)(4) tools to hold candidates accountable and show that early learning is a winning issue for families across the political spectrum.
A District Long Considered Unmovable
When the incumbent state senator left office, the race to replace him drew little statewide attention. The district had voted the same way for generations, but Children First Action Fund saw potential for change where others saw certainty.
They recognized that early childhood issues—affordable child care, quality pre-K, support for families—transcend party lines. Parents across the political spectrum were looking for candidates to champion their needs, and Children First Action Fund built a strategy to engage them.
The race was decided by 348 votes, electing James Malone—who had publicly committed to prioritizing early childhood policy—to the state Senate. The outcome showed that when organizations mobilize parents around early childhood issues, they can build winning coalitions even in districts with deep partisan histories.
The Child Care Voter Strategy
The Child Care Voter campaign is built around a simple accountability model.
Candidates are asked to commit publicly to making early childhood issues a priority if elected.
Those who respond demonstrate alignment with the needs of families, and those who do not create an information gap that the organization then shares with voters.
Children First Action Fund communicated these facts directly to voters. One candidate engaged on early learning priorities. One did not.
Using voter files to reach likely early childhood voters, primarily women ages 18 to 45, the organization relied on Facebook ads, social media outreach, text messages, and email. In this race, they texted 2,000 voters and used a Child Care Voter van to build visibility in local communities.
What the Win Demonstrates
This outcome sent a clear message to lawmakers.
Child care is not a partisan issue; it is a parent issue.
Parents respond when they understand clearly where candidates stand on early childhood priorities. This is true even in districts that have long been viewed as noncompetitive.
The campaign showed that parents can show up and vote for child care champions when given straightforward information about candidate positions. It also demonstrated that early childhood investment resonates with voters who share similar concerns about child care access, affordability, and quality.
Building Political Power for Early Childhood
Children First Action Fund created its 501(c)(4) arm specifically to inform voters and hold state lawmakers accountable for their votes on early childhood legislation and action.
The 501(c)(4) structure allows the organization to:
- Engage voters during the most critical phase of election season
- Communicate clearly about candidate positions
- Build political pressure around early childhood priorities
This shift has elevated the early childhood community in Pennsylvania. Children First Action Fund is now viewed as a significant actor in both policy and electoral spaces.
Their increased influence was evident when House leadership invited only three organizations to present at its winter retreat: two major unions and Children First Action Fund. At the retreat, the Action Fund thanked House leadership for supporting early childhood priorities and shared how they had worked alongside public education champions to advance legislation that expanded access to high-quality early learning.
During the presentation, they pointed to members in the caucus who had led on these issues and noted how the Fund’s investments helped early learning champions win in districts where early childhood became a defining campaign issue.
Being selected by House leadership to address the caucus sent a clear message to policymakers, partners, and the broader advocacy community: Children First Action Fund was a priority partner. The results were tangible—legislators began seeking out collaborations, became more responsive to the Action Fund’s outreach, and the organization’s credibility as a key player in Pennsylvania policy and politics grew significantly.
A Stronger, More Sophisticated Movement
With support from Impact Fellows Action Fund, the organization has expanded its capacity in digital outreach, social media engagement, voter targeting, and political advocacy. These are tools that many other movements have used for years but that have been underutilized in the early childhood field.
The Bottom Line
Children First Action Fund’s 501(c)(4) work shows that:
- Child care is a motivating electoral issue for families
- Securing candidate commitments on the issues and mobilizing voters around them can help influence outcomes
- Strategic 501(c)(4) investments build political power and credibility that open doors for the early childhood movement
The Pennsylvania victory is not about shifting a district from one party to another. It is about demonstrating that when candidates engage with families on early childhood issues, and when they do not, child care voters notice and respond at the ballot box.