Jasmine Harris advances family advocacy in Louisiana

Jasmine Harris, a senior associate for family engagement with Save the Children Action Network, is working with parents, Head Start programs and local leaders across Louisiana to turn lived experience into advocacy. Her efforts focus on early childhood education, food security and helping caregivers engage directly with policymakers.

Why it matters: - Jasmine Harris's work is aimed at helping parents and caregivers move from being observers to active participants in policy debates that affect children. - Her advocacy focuses on early childhood education, food security and family support systems in Louisiana communities that often have fewer resources and less access to policymakers. - The approach matters because parent stories can shape how elected officials understand the real-world impact of funding and program decisions.

What happened: - Jasmine Harris serves as a Senior Associate for Family Engagement with Save the Children Action Network, the advocacy arm of Save the Children. - Harris works across Louisiana, including Jefferson Davis, Evangeline and St. Landry parishes. - She partners with Head Start programs, rural communities and local leaders to help families engage in advocacy. - Influential Women recognized Harris for her family advocacy work.

The details: - Harris helps parents understand their role as advocates and supports their engagement with policymakers on early childhood education issues. - Her work centers on building trust, expanding civic participation and elevating the lived experiences of parents and caregivers. - Harris has more than a decade of experience in family engagement, Head Start programming and community-based education. - Her background includes work in direct service, higher education, disaster recovery coordination and parent engagement initiatives. - Harris holds a Master of Arts in Adult Learning & Development and Continuing Education Administration from Northwestern State University. - She credits Save the Children and Save the Children Action Network leadership, as well as the Family Engagement division, for training and strategic guidance. - Harris says the partnership with Head Start through the Louisiana U.S. Programs gives her consistent access to centers and families. - SCAN's Have a Heart campaign is one of the tools Harris uses to create leadership opportunities for parents and caregivers. - Harris says participation in these advocacy efforts comes at no cost to families. - Harris also emphasizes integrity, transparency, emotional intelligence and active listening as core parts of her approach.

Between the lines: - Harris's comments point to a broader challenge in family advocacy: policy conversations can become detached from the daily realities of children and parents. - She argues that issues such as SNAP and early childhood education often get framed as budget debates instead of questions about household stability and child development. - The emphasis on personal stories reflects a belief that lived experience can bridge the gap between data and policymaking. - Her focus on rural and underserved communities suggests the work is as much about access and confidence as it is about formal advocacy training.

What's next: - Harris plans to keep building parent leadership through advocacy trainings and direct engagement with policymakers. - Her work will continue to center on helping families speak up about early learning, food security and children's safety. - She aims to keep identifying and preparing the next generation of parent advocates in Louisiana. - More information is available through Jasmine Harris's Influential Women profile and Save the Children Action Network's Louisiana profile.

The bottom line: - Harris's advocacy is about turning family experience into policy influence, with the goal of making Louisiana communities stronger for children and caregivers.