MomsRising: Making America More Family-Friendly

I’ve been meaning to give props to MomsRising for a while now, but a CNNMoney.com article prompted me to do it today.

MomsRising is a grassroots, online-based effort (sorta like MoveOn.org) to mobilize moms—and those who care about moms—across America “as a cohesive force for change.” The group’s main purpose:

…[B]ringing millions of people, who all share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America, together as a non-partisan force for 2008 and beyond.

According to CNNMoney.com, MomsRising “advocates and coordinates grassroots campaigns for maternity/paternity leave, child care, job flexibility, and more after-school programs.” The group’s founders give details on these core principles in the book, The Motherhood Manifesto.

I’m planning to get my copy of the book, along with a documentary film by the same title, so I can host a MomsRising House Party.

If you’re interested in “working together to build a family-friendly America” (the group’s motto/tagline), learn how you can get involved. And to go that extra mile, you might even volunteer or donate to the cause. It seems like a pretty easy yet powerful way to effect real change.

Update: Since I first published this article eight years ago, MomsRising has done a lot of good for working families in the United States. Here are some highlights I think are pretty amazing:

• MomsRising is comprised of more than 1 million members. Beyond that, their membership reflects a similar racial and ethnic makeup as the U.S. Census.
• Their members helped push paid sick days across the finish line in New York City, Connecticut, Seattle, and Jersey City, NJ. They also helped ensure that the Portland, Oregon City Commission voted unanimously to pass paid sick days. And they pushed for paid sick days for years in New York City, which recently became the largest city in the U.S. to pass a paid sick days bill.
• MomsRising launched a major campaign to educate parents about the Affordable Care Act, to support passage of the legislation and see that the needs of children and families were met.
• In Washington State, MomsRising members helped pass a groundbreaking kindergarten transition program, protected Working Connections Child Care, and protected the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program.
• Nationally, MomsRising members helped to make the Early Learning Challenge Grants (federal grants to improve critical state early child care and education systems) possible, protected key programs like child care and Head Start, and helped update the federal nutrition standards for child care centers.
• The organization championed a successful effort to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, including holding in district constituent meetings in 44 states as well as sent in tens of thousands of letters in support of equal pay and this legislation.

I could go on and on. But you get the drift. MomsRising was and continues to be a huge force for good in the lives of American working moms. I encourage you to learn more about what they’re doing, take action when you can, and support the initiatives you’re particularly passionate about. Everybody wins!