Understanding Mindsets about Government Can Help Us Advocate for Children

Although Moms for Liberty and other groups aren’t making headlines in the way they were before, their argument at its core—that the government is out to undermine parents and actively harm children and families—is alive and well, and is already figuring prominently in the 2024 election. [...] Rather than believing that government has a role and responsibility to children and families, people can reason that we need to take action to stop government infringement and restriction. [...] Strategies for Moving Forward To navigate these mindsets and ensure that our government does live up to its promise of supporting children and families, advocates can use these proven framing strategies to talk about the role of government as we get closer to the election (and after). [...] Abstract discussion of the government’s role tends to create skepticism and worry that the government is actively trying to displace parents’ and families’ roles. [...] In an election year when children’s advocates will be fighting for more public resources and government support, we can use these framing strategies to start new conversations about what the role of government should be in the lives of children and families and increase a sense of public responsibility for children’s wellbeing.