Moms First

Here are two things we know for sure: child care is not a personal issue for moms to solve, it's a critical economic imperative, and increasingly, the business community is stepping up on child care by investing in their own workforces and engaging in public policy to ensure that the communities they call home can thrive. Last week, the Moms First team and our National Business Coalition for Child Care partners took to D.C. to put child care front and center on the national agenda. 🏛️ Here's a recap of our whirlwind 24 hours in Washington: 📌 Moms First joined forces with the Council of Economic Advisers, The White House to host an Employer Roundtable with our partners JBS USA, TIAA, UPS, Morgan Stanley, Chobani, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Ralph Lauren, Etsy, Deloitte, Bobbie, The Adecco Group and Adecco Group US Foundation on the ROI of investing in child care, the innovative investments companies are making to address the child care crisis, and what more we can do together   📌 With our co-hosts UPS and First Five Years Fund, we brought together industry leaders and bipartisan offices across Capitol Hill to discuss the economic impact of the child care crisis and opportunities for greater public-private partnership 📌 And last but not least, the Moms First team (Molly Day, Atossa Movahedi, Julie Leitch) and our partners participated in the FIRST EVER National Child Care Innovation Summit hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where our Founder & CEO, Reshma Saujani, delivered a powerful keynote, underscoring the crucial role businesses must play in the fight for affordable, accessible child care, and BCG Managing Director & Partner, Kelsey Clark, uplifted the findings of our recent report on the ROI of investing in child care "All of us have a role in fixing [our care structure], especially business. And I'm a big believer in the power of business to fix policy." - Moms First Founder and CEO, Reshma Saujani Changing the system so that it *finally* works for moms won't happen overnight, but we're ready to keep fighting until every mother has the support they need to truly thrive.

One of the things we value most at Moms First is our community, and boy, do we have one hell of an extraordinary community. 💚 Last month, on the heels of our inaugural #MomsFirstSummit, we launched a petition urging CNN to ask about the child care crisis during the first presidential debate. And in just 25 days, nearly 15,000 of you raised your voices and elevated child care all the way to the presidential debate stage. A massive shout out to our amazing partners — Blue Star Families, Bobbie, Care.com, Count on Mothers, Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice, The Fair Play Policy Institute, Happiest Baby (the maker of SNOO), LIFT, Inc., The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Parents Union, Red Wine and Blue, ROE v BROS, The Mom Project, Share Our Strength, and Vivvi — for getting loud about this issue with us. This campaign was driven by the stories we hear from moms every day. And last week's debate only reinforced what we already knew: when moms unite and advocate for ourselves, we can make a powerful impact.

Dear U.S. Leaders: Answer the damn question. At the debate last night, the presidential candidates had the opportunity to tell millions of moms across America their plans for fixing our broken child care system...and they didn’t. Here’s what we’re going to do about it: 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. Everywhere — and to everyone. To our city council members. To our state legislators. To our members of Congress. And, yes, we’re going to ask it again at the next presidential debate until we get the answer we deserve.

We did it! Tonight, after nearly 15,000 moms and allies called on CNN to ask the presidential candidates about the child care crisis — they asked the question! Moments ago, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash brought child care to the national stage, acknowledging the astronomical cost of child care for families and asking the candidates how they plan to fix the broken child care system if they are elected. And...the candidates failed to give us any substantive answers and used the time to bicker. Clearly, we have our work cut out for us. While we are disappointed that our presidential candidates failed to acknowledge the seriousness of our child care crisis — tonight, let’s take a moment to celebrate the power and influence of moms. Because your voice matters and this is just the beginning. This is what happens when moms get loud and fight for ourselves — we get results.

We’ve never been more certain about the power of moms. 💪 Why? Because throughout history, mothers have been at the forefront of every major movement. And, as we saw with our petition to CNN, we are once again taking the lead, and fighting to fix the broken child care system for ourselves, our children, and families across the country. Tonight, as the candidates step onto the debate stage, moms will be listening. As Moms First’s CEO and Founder, Reshma Saujani said in her piece in CNN: “Maybe, finally, [the candidates] will see us as whole people, vie for our vote and treat us as the true, powerful constituency we are.” Read Reshma's full piece in CNN here: https://lnkd.in/ekttrAEB

The first debate of the 2024 presidential race is TOMORROW, and over 13,000 of you have signed our petition calling on CNN to put the child care crisis center stage during tomorrow's debate. As we eagerly await to see if the moderators and candidates listen to the concerns of mothers nationwide, we put together a few need-to-know things ahead of the presidential debate. Leave a comment below if, like us, you'll be tuning in tomorrow to see if @CNN puts moms first. P.S. you still have time to sign our petition: https://lnkd.in/eSs8HFBt

The emotional and mental labor that comes with navigating the child care system is undeniably real, and it's okay to feel overwhelmed. You are not alone, and we're by your side fighting to fix our broken child care system once and for all. Thank you so much to Zach for making this video and for being a strong supporter in our cause. 💚 Add your name to our petition calling on CNN to address the child care crisis at the presidential debate: https://lnkd.in/eSs8HFBt

Our petition to get #childcare on the presidential debate stage has passed 12,000 signatures and we’re just days away from bringing it to D.C. Sign NOW to get us to 15,000 — and follow along throughout the week as we gear up for the first presidential date. It’s time for our broken child care system to get the attention it deserves. Let’s show CNN and the candidates that moms are watching. Join us by signing the petition at the link: https://lnkd.in/eSs8HFBt

It has been two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. At the #MomsFirstSummit, Alexis McGill Johnson), President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, shared the story of a mother's journey across Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and California in search of abortion care in a post-Roe U.S. The patient eventually received the care she needed, but the mental, physical, and financial obstacles should never have existed. According to 2019 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of women seeking abortions already have one child, and until the essential right to choose to become a mother is restored in this county we will continue to hear stories just like this one. On the anniversary of Dobbs we're fighting for a nation where every single individual has the freedom to make choices about their own bodies and futures.

☀️ Fill in the blank: It's summer break and I'm a mom, of course I _____ We'll start. It's summer break and I'm a mom, of course I started looking for summer camp options in January. 🙃 The search for summer child care shouldn't fill us with stress and anxiety. Join us in raising our voices and sign the petition urging CNN to address the child care crisis at the next week's presidential debate right here: https://lnkd.in/eSs8HFBt