Start Where You Live. Advocate Where it Counts
Explore the new State Advocacy Hub: Start Where You Live. Advocate Where It Counts.
The FASD United Policy and Advocacy Center is excited to announce the launch of a new online resource designed to guide your state advocacy and help turn policy progress into real-world results. The new State Advocacy Hub is now live and was created to support self-advocates, families, professionals, and those new to the FASD advocacy community.
For the first time in nearly 20 years, federal law now explicitly recognizes fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) across health, education, justice, and social services through provisions of the FASD Respect Act included in the SUPPORT Reauthorization Act. This is an important milestone, but federal recognition alone will not create lasting supports for the FASD community. The new State Advocacy Hub was built to help advocates take the next step.
A Practical Starting Point
Advocacy can feel intimidating, especially for those who have never engaged with policymakers or state agencies before. We want to make the process clear, practical, and accessible. It is important to remember, however, that you do not need to be a policy expert to make a difference. Your experience is enough.
The State Advocacy Hub guides advocates through six steps to help build momentum at the state level: understanding the policy moment, identifying key contacts, framing personal experiences, making clear requests, showing up in public conversations, and staying connected with the broader FASD advocacy community.
Tools to Help Advocates Get Started
The hub also includes practical tools advocates can use immediately, including email templates, call scripts, testimony examples, letters to the editor, Awareness Month proclamation language, and talking points for meetings with policymakers and state agency employees.
Building a Stronger Advocacy Community
The hub also connects advocates to opportunities to collaborate and learn from others across the country through weekly policy drop-in calls and monthly policy forums hosted by the FASD United Policy Center.
These conversations help ensure advocates are supported and that lessons learned in one state can inform progress in others.
Explore the new State Advocacy Hub:
Start Where You Live. Advocate Where It Counts.
