Every year, hundreds of advocates from across Colorado come together for Speak Up for Kids Day. And behind every conversation at the State Capitol, every email to a legislator, and every sticker proudly worn in support of kids, is a personal story.
That’s why The Campaign launched “Voices of Speak Up,” a series highlighting the individuals who make this movement possible. From parents advocating for affordable child care, to educators championing equitable school funding, to health care professionals working to ensure every child can access care, the series shines a light on the many reasons Coloradans choose to speak up for kids.
Name: Ealasha Vaughner 
Organization: Clayton Early Learning
Title: Policy and Advocacy Manager
How many Speak Up for Kids days have you attended? Seven
Region: City/County of Denver
Why do you speak up for kids? They are our futures; they are the ones we are going to need to lean on when we don’t have a voice anymore. We speak up for them because they don’t have a voice – so we’re training them to have a voice and speaking up for them until they can speak up for themselves.
What change do you hope will happen because of today? I want parents, community members, and caregivers to understand how powerful their voice is and to have the power to speak up. They don’t want us to speak up – or to tell what we need or what’s going on in our communities. And I want our elected officials to understand how important it is to invest in our kids and our futures. At the end of the day – if we don’t invest in kids, our community and our economy are not going to be where they need to be, and we’re going to be in a bad situation.
