This press release originally appeared on Fosters.com.

Washington, D.C. – Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., received the Champions for Children award April 12 during the Invest In Kids Advocacy Summit, hosted by Save the Children and Save the Children Action Network (SCAN).

Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Chris Coons, D-Del., and Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., also received the award.

“We are honored to present these awards to these champions for kids,” said Carolyn Miles, president & CEO of Save the Children. “We’d like to thank them for their dedication to improving access to high-quality early childhood education here and ending the preventable deaths of mothers and children around the world.”

More than 175 advocates traveled to Washington this week to urge lawmakers to make key investments in early childhood education and maternal, newborn and child survival programs. Specifically, attendees asked lawmakers to cosponsor the Social Impact Partnership Act, the Reach Every Mother and Child Act and to invest more in effective global health and nutrition programs.

During the 2016 Advocacy Summit, advocates – including 65 high school and college students – from 25 states participated in more than 100 meetings on Capitol Hill.

Save the Children Action Network is the political voice for kids. We believe that every child deserves the best start in life. That’s why we’re building bipartisan will and voter support to make sure every child in the U.S. has access to high-quality early learning and that no mother or child around the globe dies from a preventable disease or illness.