We are excited to share some incredible updates in this edition of MOMentum.
This month, we’re celebrating many national policy victories protecting reproductive freedoms, strengthening the path to citizenship, expanding postpartum healthcare coverage for one year, improving maternal and infant health, and increasing access to summer nutrition programs. When you scroll down and find out more about these victories, you’ll also find a rainbow of actions, including what Pride Month means to moms; resources for families with different abilities; an inspiring community highlight; MomsRising in the News; and much more!
When we rise together, families win!
Speaking of rising together, in June, we were thrilled to announce that MomsRising is receiving generous multi-year funding from Pivotal as a part of Melinda French Gates’ commitment to supercharge the work to advance women’s power and protect the rights of women and moms across the United States. MomsRising will use the generous grant, which will continue through 2026, to fight for progress on the issues that matter most to moms and families – including paid family and medical leave, quality affordable child care, fair pay, and reproductive and maternal health care – at the local, state, and national levels.
It comes at a time when we are working tirelessly not just to make progress, but also to protect and restore gains we made in the past. This is a crucial, perilous moment, as we face the very real possibility that our daughters will have fewer rights and protections than their moms and even their grandmothers. Our future is truly at stake. This funding support is incredibly well-timed as we look to overcome challenges and intensify our work.
“My commitment is to ensure we are doing more to unlock women and girls’ power and we are accelerating progress now,” said Melinda French Gates, founder of Pivotal. “The organizations we’re working with have a proven track record in fighting to protect women’s rights and advancing their power and influence in the United States. I look forward to all they will continue to accomplish.”
Despite the pressing need for attention and investment, only about 2% of charitable giving in the United States goes to organizations focused on women and girls.
So your support has been (and will be!) instrumental in building the proven track record of advancing Mom Power that led to the grant.
THANK YOU! Your dedication fuels our movement, and we couldn't be more grateful.
With boundless appreciation,
Kerri, Kristin, Gloria, Sheila, Selina, and everyone at MomsRising
The U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that it’s up to Congress to ban bump stocks. Take action and tell Congress to ban bump stocks now!
Your generosity powers up this campaign. Thank you!
POLICY TRIUMPHS
Thanks to the powerful, persistent efforts and support of the MomsRising community, we welcomed several major national policy victories for moms and families in the past weeks:
PROTECTED REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOMS: In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously to protect the FDAs authority to dispense mifepristone, an abortion medication that has been used for decades and is safer than Tylenol. Six in ten people who have abortions are moms, making this a top issue for MomsRising members. MomsRising was a lead in an amicus to SCOTUS submitting hundreds of thousands of petitions!
STRENGTHENING THE PATH TO CITIZENSHIP: The Biden/Harris Administration took executive action expanding immigration protections to undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and streamlining employment-based visas for DACA recipients. These actions strengthen our country’s immigrant workers in our caregiving workforce and our overall economy and give well-deserved peace of mind to many mixed-status families.
EXPANDING POSTPARTUM HEALTHCARE COVERAGE FOR ONE YEAR: As of June 2024, 47 states took up the federal funds, brought forward by the American Rescue Plan and made permanent by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, for one year of postpartum healthcare coverage for all birthing people. This is an enormous victory – and we are celebrating the power of moms’ voices in helping to make it happen!
IMPROVING MATERNAL & INFANT HEALTH:The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024 passed Congress and is headed to President Biden’s desk for signature! This bill will provide meaningful funding and action to improve maternal and infant health, including support for programs and research to prevent stillbirths. This is a big moment of celebration because it’s the single largest funding mechanism to address maternal and child health issues in the United States.
INCREASING ACCESS TO SUMMER NUTRITION PROGRAMS: 21 million kids (and rising) now have access to increased summer nutrition programs due to the Biden/Harris Administration’s national strategy to end hunger, which has been propelled by the work of advocates including MomsRising. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a significantly improved suite of summer nutrition programs for kids – called the SUN Programs. This has led to historically improved summer nutrition programs for kids!
Together we’re making great strides on the issues that are critically important to America’s families. We're so grateful for your support!
RAINBOW OF ACTIONS
Pride Month celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community and the people within it, past and present, who have fought to make our country and lives safer and stronger. Boosted by your support, the MomsRising community honored Pride Month with a rainbow of actions, including:
An insightful selection of Pride Month blog posts including a three-part series on adolescent mental health, LGBTQ+ book lists, discussion on transgender rights, and more.
Limited-edition Pride-themed merch – bumper stickers, buttons, tees, and more – to help supporters like you wear your values with Pride!
A petition calling on Congress to prioritize policies that strengthen and protect LGBTQIA+ workers.
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT: MamásConPoder
Earlier this month MomsRising North Carolina Campaign Director Sheila Arias joined forces with Mamás con Poder super volunteer Jessica Aguilar at the “Let's Talk About Different Abilities” Conference in Charlotte, NC. The conference connected Hispanic families, in Spanish, with medical and educational resources for supporting their loved ones with different abilities, plus opportunities for advocacy through MamásConPoder.
The conference was a huge success, with 500 individuals in attendance.
Together, we’re turbocharging grassroots mom power and community-building events like this one across the country!
MOMSRISING IN THE NEWS
ASSOCIATED PRESS: Melinda French Gates to donate $1 billion over next 2 years in support of women’s rights
“We’re deeply honored and enormously grateful that Melinda French Gates is stepping up for women and families in a time when the rights of our daughters may be significantly less than of ourselves or our own mothers.” — MomsRising Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner
ABC NEWS: Skyrocketing child care costs show how inflation could impact 2024 election
“West was breezing through the hiring process to become a driver at UPS, a job that paid $400 a week and would supplement Jessica’s salary as a state employee…Their hopes soured, however, when they realized child care would cost them all of the added income.” – Features MomsRising members Jessica Morrison and Jason West
USA TODAY: For a moment, George Floyd's murder changed everything. Those days are gone.
“This is a powerful, powerful moment. The backlash is because people's minds are changing and because people are having some very, very good experiments on the local level, which is where all this happens.” – MomsRising Chief Strategy Officer Monifa Bandele
YAHOO NEWS: WA voters want more child care investments, new poll finds
“The most important thing is that voters support ensuring Washington’s wealthiest people and businesses fund child care because it is a critical part of our economy.” – MomsRising Early Learning and Washington State National Director Lauren Hipp
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