About MomsRising

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    The MomsRising Organization

    MomsRising is working to bring together millions of people who share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America. Started in May of 2006, MomsRising has gained over 150,000 citizen members and is rapidly growing. More than 85 national and state organizations have signed on to be aligned with MomsRising.

    Our members are bringing important motherhood and family issues to the forefront of the country's awareness. We are working to create both cultural and legislative change. It is time to break the logjam that has been holding back family-friendly legislation for decades and to advance workplace policies that will support families.

    MomsRising offers easy entry into citizen advocacy and is bringing the power of online organizing to motherhood and family issues.

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    The Crisis of American Families & the Bias Against Mothers

    Shocking but true: There is a tragic lack of support for American families and a deep bias against mothers.

    - A full quarter of U.S. families with children less than six years old live in poverty.

    - Nine million children are without healthcare coverage and many more are under-insured.



    - Fourteen million children are unsupervised after school. 40,000 of these are kindergartners due to a lack of affordable afterschool programs.



    - In a Harvard study of over 170 countries, the U.S. was one of only four nations without any form of paid leave for new mothers. (The others were Liberia, Swaziland, and Papua New Guinea.)



    - Women without children make 90 cents to a man’s dollar, but mothers make just 73 cents, and single mothers make even less -- about 60 cents to a man’s dollar.



    - Mothers are 79% less likely to be hired than equally qualified non-mothers.



    - A recent study found that mothers were offered $11,000 lower starting pay than non-mothers with the same resume for highly paid jobs, while fathers were offered $6,000 more in starting pay.



    - Of the twenty most competitive economies in the world, the U.S. is the only one that does not require employers to provide paid sick days.



    Three-quarters of American mothers are now in the labor force. Yet we are stuck in a 1950’s mentality which assumed that there was a full-time wife at home taking care of the children (although this was not often possible for lower income women). It is time for our legislative policies and workplaces to match the dynamics of the modern American family. Morally this is the right thing and moreover it makes common sense that to have a healthy economy we must also have healthy families.

    Countries with family-friendly policies in place—such as paid family leave, accessible health care, flexible work policies and subsidized child care—do not have the same wage gap for mothers as we do here. This begins to explain why there are so many American women and children living in poverty, and why there are so few women in leadership.

    It is time for America to catch up to the rest of the world and meet the needs of modern families in our country. MomsRising.org is working to bring about this change.

    "Despite all the rhetoric about being family-friendly, we have structured a society that is decidedly unfriendly... What's missing now is a movement. What's missing now is an organization. That's why MomsRising is so important." -- U.S. Senator Barack Obama, 9/28/06

    "We're going to have a great movement of moms around the country, and dads, and grandparents and concerned Americans - what's more important than our children? I am absolutely delighted to welcome [MomsRising] to the Senate. This is where the first house party should be held." -- U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, 9/28/06

    Our Issues: M.O.T.H.E.R.S.

    These are the core issues that are at the base of our grassroots movement and are taken directly from the book, The Motherhood Manifesto.

    M - Maternity/Paternity Leave: Provide paid family leave after a new child comes into the family.

    O - Open Flexible Work: Promote jobs that have work hours and career options that allow parents to meet both business and family needs: flexible work hours and locations, part time options and the ability to move in and out of the labor force while raising young children without penalties to wages and benefits.

    T - TV We Choose and Other After-School Programs: Ensure safe and educational opportunities for children after the school day such as accessible and affordable afterschool programs, age-appropriate computer games, as well as more educational television options and an independent television rating system, with technology that allows parents to choose appropriate programs for children.

    H - Healthcare for All Kids: All children must have quality health care.

    E - Excellent Childcare: Quality, affordable childcare should be available to all parents who need it. Childcare providers should be paid at least a living wage and healthcare benefits.

    R - Realistic and Fair Wages: Two full-time working parents should be able to earn enough to adequately care for their family. In addition, working mothers must receive equal pay for equal work.

    S- Sick Days, Paid: All people should have access to paid sick days.

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    Get Involved!

    Become a MomsRising member by clicking here. Joining is free. We are non-partisan and work on a state and national level.

    We welcome everyone who cares about families, the future of our country, and equity for women. We may not all be mothers, but we all have or have had a mother. The MomsRising agenda encompasses the concerns of stay-at-home moms and working mothers. Our issues relate to the diversity of American families and families of all income levels.

    Although we tap into the sentiments of mothers, the issues we address touch fathers as well--though differently in some cases. FamiliesRising is our mirror web space where men can amplify their voices and take action.

    As part of MomsRising you can:

    • Join our campaigns to bring about change now.

    • Read blogs from the cutting edge of the motherhood movement.

    • Watch The Motherhood Manifesto film, and read the award-winning book.

    • Spread the word by showing the film to others either at a house party or in your community.

    • Learn about model family-friendly legislation that could be enacted in your state.

    • Download a small MomsRising poster for your home or neighborhood.

    • Get the goods: Check out our fabulous MomsRising t-shirts and more.

    • Donate money to help us reach millions of mothers and families. Even small contributions make a difference.

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