Five Minute Table

A five-minute table is an advocacy strategy to engage parents and other visitors to your child care program in grassroots efforts.

  1. A table is placed in a location where parents easily can see it when they bring or pick up their child(ren). An engaging bulletin board pointing out the five minute table may assist in getting the parents to the table.

  2. On the table, fact sheets on the issue being addressed are available along with postcards and/or note paper to write to legislators or other officials. Place additional fact sheets on the table so that parents may, if they wish, place them at other locations, such as houses of worship, their workplace, etc.

  3. Addresses are already put on the cards/envelopes and instructions on how to address the recipient of the cards/notes. Information can also be made available so parents can take information home to e-mail although this is not the preferred method of communication.

  4. Parents can leave their cards/notes in a box at the table so that you can put the stamp on them and send them out or you can leave stamps on the table for the parents to use.

Courtesy of Rhea F. Starr, Consultant to United Way of Lancaster, Success By 6®
Child Care and Advocacy
Rheafstarr@yahoo.com