Earlier this year we launched the third RISERS cohort. We welcomed 20 moms from 12 states all eager and ready to make change that will help families across the nation. This year’s RISERS cohort will be bigger and better: we will have opportunities to do more on the ground work in our communities, reaching out to more moms to build more parent power across the nation. We’ll be able to encourage and educate community members on what’s at stake for moms and families and why it’s important to get out the vote in 2024. 

We launched the RISERS Parent Fellowship in 2021. Our goal was simple: to support parent leaders and help them develop their skills as advocates and leaders in their communities to help advance the causes that so many families across the United States struggle with – access to paid leave, child care and other issues affecting families with children ages 0-5.

During the first two years of our RISERS fellowship, our fellows participated in a variety of activities like advocating for paid leave, raising their voices against book bans, celebrating the PUMP ACT in Washington DC, speaking to lawmakers in support of child care investments and speaking to local and national media on the most pressing issues that affect our families, 

As we enter the 2024, our RISERS will continue lifting their voices and sharing their experiences in all matters of early learning: continuing to pressure officials at both state and federal levels to take action on child care, universal pre-k and maternal mental health. Our elected leaders and policymakers need to remember that families are watching, and they cannot ignore us; we’re going to hold them accountable! 

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In addition to lifting up early learning issues, they will also be working on other important issues (because, as Audre Lorde said “we don’t live single issue lives”), including educating their communities on the importance of registering to vote and voting, fighting to protect reproductive rights and ensuring children have access to diverse books in their schools, libraries and communities. 

We’re excited to bring this diverse group of moms together from 12 states across the nation for another round of learning, growing and strengthening their advocacy skills. 

This group brings caregivers from all walks of life who represent the diversity that makes our country special. Being in community with individuals that bring many life experiences together helps us grow and learn from each other; and allows us to understand the kind of support that parents and caregivers parents from urban, suburban and rural areas may need. Our third cohort of RISERS brings unique experiences and perspectives, but they all have one goal: to lift up the issues that impact families with babies and young children. We are excited to work with these phenomenal mamas:

• Zakela, Florida
• Josie, Washington 
• Jennifer, Arizona
• Mansie, New York
• Brittany, Florida
• Melanie, Utah
• Lisa, New York,
• Kelsi, New Jersey
• Jenny, Michigan
• Meghan, Massachusetts
• Sasheena, Florida
• Thais, New York
• Shauna, Georgia
• Yessenia, New Jersey
• Kayleigh, Massachusetts
• Malita, Illinois
• Rachael, South Carolina
• Stefanie, Pennsylvania
• Kelly, California
• Jallicia, Massachusetts

Want to get involved? Storytelling is a great way to start your advocacy journey with MomsRising! You can share your story with us via this link, or share a video (we love seeing your faces!)