Welcome to MOMENTUM: The MomsRising Impact in 2022, a report highlighting the victories, progress, and power-building achieved by the MomsRising community in 2022. 

• Executive Letter

• MomsRising By The Numbers

• Our 2022 Legislative & Policy Wins

• Increasing Mom Voter Engagement

• Training the Next Generation of Mom Leaders

• Building State Power

• Narrative Shifting

• Vision for 2023 and Beyond 

EXECUTIVE LETTER

Together, moms and caregivers are an incredible, unstoppable, often underestimated, powerful force. Our state and national legislative victories, the massive narrative shifting media coverage we’ve generated, the Mom Voters we’ve activated, and the fact that we’re moving our nation toward being one with a care infrastructure where every family can thrive proves this point.

2022 was a year of unexpected victories.

Unexpected because while moms and caregivers know we’re powerful together, moms still face intense wage, hiring, and other discrimination in our nation – and moms of color experience compounded discrimination due to structural racism.

We know our nation can do better. In fact, we’re proving it.

In 2022 MomsRising won transformational policy changes that bettered the lives of families, boosted the economy, and lifted democracy. These include protections for pregnant and nursing workers, lower prescription drug costs, childcare and early education investments, infant formula security, a massive mobilization of Mom Voters, and much more.

Our victories prove that together we can modernize our outdated policies. And our movement is growing each day. We are audaciously RISING as the passionate, energizing, effective, and tenacious force for much-needed change that our nation needs right now.

What began with a handful of women, MomsRising today has grown to over 1 million members strong, with volunteers in every state, staff in 18 states, and an audience reach of over 250,000,000 people.

As we celebrate the MOMentum we’ve achieved, we also look ahead to 2023 and beyond. With you, we will continue to take on the most critical issues facing women and families, spark even more victories, and build a brighter future for us all.

Now is our time. Thank you for believing in our power together.

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director & Co-Founder

Monifa Bandele, Chief Strategy Officer

Ruth Martin, Senior Vice President & Chief Workplace Justice Officer

Donna Norton, Executive Vice President

Xochitl Oseguera, Vice President, MamásConPoder

Gloria Pan, Senior Vice President, Member Engagement, Campaign Innovations, Gun Control

Nate White, Senior Vice President, Digital Strategy & Technology

Our Mission

MomsRising is a movement of more than a million people working to increase family economic security, stop discrimination, and build a nation where everyone can thrive.

MOMSRISING BY THE NUMBERS

Massive Member Engagement in 2022

The MomsRising community took an unprecedented number of actions urging elected leaders, corporate decision-makers, and Mom Voters to act.

Breaking Through in 2022

In media outlets big and small, the MomsRising community broadly and consistently shifted the national narrative in 2022, delivering powerful messages time and time again that improving the economic security and health of moms and families is vital to our nation’s success.

OUR 2022 LEGISLATIVE & POLICY WINS

"I am grateful for your contributions in our work to build back a better America. Keep up the fight." -President Joe Biden (To MomsRising, 2022)

Our 2022 national legislative and policy victories were preceded by years of work with our over one million members building greater and greater levels of public support, launching powerful advocacy campaigns in coordination with coalition partners, and accelerating the influence of moms among elected leaders.

Our 2022 Wins Include:

MomsRising Maternal Justice Senior Campaign Director Tina Sherman delivered PUMP Act stories to Congress.

Victories in Protecting Pregnant and Breastfeeding Workers

As 2022 came to a close MomsRising celebrated two long-fought legislative wins for pregnant and breastfeeding workers. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant women, and the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act expands workplace protections for employees who are nursing.

Inflation Reduction Act: Lifesaving Health Coverage, Affordable Prescription Drugs, and Climate Wins

We’re proud of the work that MomsRising members did to help the Inflation Reduction Act become law. In particular, moms advocated for the provisions that reduce the cost of insulin for Medicare beneficiaries, cap the cost of prescription drugs for seniors, and keep Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans affordable, as well as paying for these investments by guaranteeing that wealthy corporations pay their fair share in taxes. We generated hundreds of thousands of constituent contacts to members of Congress, including hundreds of calls a day to Senator Sinema in the final days before the vote on the legislation to ensure the whole Inflation Reduction Act, including its transformational climate provisions, crossed the finish line.

MomsRising mobile billboards brought member messages to the streets of the U.S. Capitol.

Historic Maternal Health Investments

As a leading voice for maternal health, MomsRising pressured Congress for new robust investments to boost maternal health and we, along with our partners, were victorious. Congress nearly doubled State Maternal Health Innovation Grants and provided funds to expand the maternal mental health hotline, as well as created the first-ever national maternal mental health task force for federal agencies, and boosted access to maternal care in rural communities.

Wins in Expanded Investments in Childcare and Pre-K

While more funds are needed to address the childcare crisis, MomsRising worked hard to get increased investments in childcare and Pre-K and celebrated when massive parent advocacy resulted in big increases for Head Start and the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Both allow providers to expand their work to provide quality child care to families across the country.

"The fact that there isn't enough infrastructure to support those families...is disgraceful" Patty Liu mom of two and supporter of @MomsRising's "MOMibuster" talks to @yasminv about advocating for parental care infrastructure at the federal level. pic.twitter.com/dFV1Wk57wI

— Katy Tur Reports (@KatyOnMSNBC) May 6, 2022

Sparking a Governmental Response to the Formula Shortage

MomsRising led the call to solve the 2022 baby formula crisis. Our rapid response Instagram live event with the National WIC Association sparked a flood of national media and Congressional attention. In fact, in the weeks that followed, Congress, partners, and parents turned to MomsRising for trustworthy updates, and MomsRising members successfully pressed the Biden Administration into actions that restored the formula supply.

MomsRising urged Congress to get quacking for families during the "lame duck" session. 

Increased Funding for Child Nutrition

Moms advocated for and celebrated the victory of increased funding for the Women, Infant, and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) and the Summer Electronic Benefit Program, which helps provide food security in the summer months for families whose children receive free or reduced-price school meals during the school year.

MomsRising/MamásConPoder Arizona Organizer Alin Rodríguez.

Immigration Win

MomsRising/MamásConPoder, in coalition with the PIF Campaign, helped roll back Trump’s cruel and harmful public charge rule. Our members submitted thousands of comments that successfully urged President Biden to change the regulation to appropriately support immigrant children and families. After the victory, we used traditional and new media to discuss and explain the new ruling in both English and Spanish, including national television interviews to ensure immigrant communities access the resources they need.

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Donna Norton, and Monifa Bandele present a MomsRising superhero cape and a Thank You Card signed by MomsRising members to Nancy Pelosi in appreciation of her speakership and legislative wins.

Omnibus Victories: Improvements in Health Care Access, Mental Health, and Home Visiting

MomsRising pushed hard to win the improvements in health care access, mental health, and home visiting in the federal omnibus spending bill passed in late 2022. A major victory, the bill included a permanent, mandatory, 12-month continuous eligibility in Medicaid and CHIP for children up to age 19 in all states; the permanent option for states to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months; substantial investments in programs addressing mental illness, substance use disorder, and crisis response, as well as improvements in children’s mental health; and increased and continued funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) for five years.

INCREASING MOM VOTER ENGAGEMENT

When democracy needed it most, MomsRising supporters stepped up in a massive way to powerfully get out the Mom Vote for the 2022 midterm elections. Our “Be a Voter, Raise a Voter” Moms Vote program crushed records for volunteering, reach, and turnout.

The most impressive stat, over 64,000 volunteers made it happen, writing nearly a million postcards to low-frequency Mom Voters, sending texts, making phone calls, and running local events to get Mom Voters the information they needed to vote. These activities included volunteering at kid-friendly Treasure Boxes near polling places in New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania so moms could take their kids to vote with ease.

Together we are bringing forward powerful voters, building long-term voter engagement, and sparking a movement
for change.

MamásConPoder: Getting Out the Latina Vote

MomsRising’s Spanish-speaking community, MamásConPoder, creatively mobilized over a million Latinx voters, including in Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, for the 2022 midterms.

MamásConPoder Vice President Xochitl Oseguera at one of 12 powerful MamásConPoder voter information events in Arizona.

TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF MOM LEADERS

A record 167 volunteer moms completed a MomsRising leadership training program to power up in 2022, including our national flagship Beacons of Hope program. MomsRising’s advocates spent months learning how to accelerate their power-building, use organizing and advocacy tools, and engage lawmakers at local, state, and national levels. These mom leaders will be powering up in local communities across the nation for years to come.

Meet Jacqueline

When Jacqueline Sealy sent us a video about the lack of affordable child care in her community, we invited her to join our RISERS early childhood leadership training program. As a RISER, Jacqueline grew in her long-term leadership: She published a letter to the editor, met with U.S. Sen.Schumer’s office, and spoke at a childcare rally on Capitol Hill.

"I love you ladies [MomsRising]. If it wasn’t for y’all, our stories [moms] would not be heard. If you would’ve told me a few years ago that I would be doing this, I would’ve told that person that they’re crazy. After speaking at the conference, I feel accomplished." - MomsRising RISER Leader Jacqueline Sealy

"This is a role for anyone who wants to make a difference." - MomsRising Beacon Leader Gillian Astarita

"I’m used to being in places where you’re not appreciated. And being with MomsRising, I’m appreciated."  - MomsRising Beacon Leader Carolyn Solitaire'

Caroline Pharr.jpg

“Moms are creative problem solvers and the idea of women putting their heads together to effect positive change makes my heart happy.” – MomsRising RISER Leader Caroline Pharr

Risers Vazquez.jpg

“What excites me is to be surrounded by empowering women who work hard to bring change into our community and nation and I get to be a part of it!” – MomsRising RISER Leader Clara Vazquez

MomsRising Beacon Leaders Christina Townsend (left) and Sonia Ballinger (right) and RISER Leader Ivonne Limongi (center left) shared their childcare challenges at a roundtable event with Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.

BUILDING STATE POWER

MomsRising works in targeted states to organize women, moms, and families on issues that matter most to them and open avenues for the voices of busy parents to be heard and have an impact in powerful ways.

2022 state highlights include: 

North Carolina Tackles Hunger

North Carolina MomsRising made significant MOMentum for its anti-hunger work, launching the second Anti-Hunger Advocacy Fellowship, a leadership training program for people who are struggling to put food on the table. Fellows shared stories and ideas and built advocacy power together. Additionally, fellows shared their anti-hunger storybook with North Carolina members of Congress, participated in the White House Conference on Hunger, and generated ideas for the Biden-Harris National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, a blueprint for ending hunger and healthier eating.

North Carolina Anti-Hunger Fellow Kyler urged lawmakers to support families struggling with food insecurity.

New Hampshire Connects Caregivers

New Hampshire MomsRising continued to develop long-term local leadership by building an empowering state fellowship program, with a specific focus on building a community of and for caregivers. Since 2020, Granite State Fellows have placed 54 publications in papers, taken more than 12,000 online actions, and participated in a host of in-person and virtual events with elected officials. These parent leaders have become beacons of hope in their communities, advocating for change, joining school boards, changing career paths, and assisting each other.

MomsRising’s Granite State Fellows and staff are building a welcoming community for caregivers.

Washington Rallies for Early Learners

Washington State MomsRising formed the Fair Start for Kids Brigade to help get the word out about the new, expanded childcare benefits for parents from the state’s new Fair Start for Kids program, the largest investment in early learning in Washington state history. Local MomsRising volunteers wrote letters to the editor advocating for the program and sent more than 6,000 handwritten postcards to parents describing the new law, how it can help their families, and how to get the benefits.

MomsRising member Thelma de Castro helped spread the word about affordable child care in Washington state.

Pennsylvania Helps Moms Vote

Pennsylvania MomsRising volunteers helped inspire Mom Voters to vote, get people the information they needed to cast a ballot and make voting a fun family event by staffing Treasure Boxes at polling locations across Pennsylvania on Election Day. The volunteers handed out small toys, voting-related children’s crossword puzzles, and coloring pages in English and Spanish that said, “My mom is a superhero. She voted!” in order to entertain kids while moms voted.

MomsRising PA member Stephanie Lane.

Florida Stands Up at the School Board and Wins

Florida resident and MomsRising Early Learning National Director Nina Perez won a local Duval County Florida School Board campaign by utilizing tried and true MomsRising organizing strategies. The Duval County School Board was under pressure to remove its health curriculum due to references to LGBTQ+ youth. In partnership locally with Public School Defenders, MomsRising helped mobilize local parents and students who rallied, submitted comments, and ultimately swayed the Board to keep the LGBTQ+ youth references. This campaign is now providing a blueprint for organizing parents at the school board level and promoting inclusive education.

MomsRising Early Learning National Director Nina Perez (pictured left) rallied local parents and students to support inclusive education in Duval County.

NARRATIVE SHIFTING

MomsRising played a strong role in educating the public, media, and leaders about programs and policies that lift moms and families at the federal, state, and local levels, and shifted the national narrative so the need for a care infrastructure was on center stage.

2022 Earned Media 

To build MOMentum for change, and to shift the national dialogue in support of family-friendly policies, MomsRising generated nearly 4,000 earned media moments in 2022 alone and injected mom-focused stories into national and local media coverage. MomsRising was mentioned in the media 3,999 times with a reach of 8,600,000, including:

“The pandemic has laid bare the disaster of our country’s lack of a care infrastructure that has turned endemic.” – Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

 

"The past two years prove that we can provide free school meals. Why would we stop?” – Monifa Bandele

 

"We had kids, not even two years old, that came on the bus last night and they were dumped here in the cold. That's simply not OK.” – Claudia Tristán (on the bussing of immigrant children and families)

Members in the Media in 2022

MomsRising trained and empowered our members so their voices and stories could be heard – and help shape the national narrative and policy change – time and time again in the media. To that end, MomsRising generated 1,866+ media moments for our members to directly share their experiences with a reach of 5,600,000, including:

“[Capri] had to leave her job...’There is not a single certified child care space.’” – MomsRising member
Capri Jackson

“I think moms feel very alone and very left behind by society, by government, by our communities.” – MomsRising member Mary Catherine Staff

“Do our elected leaders know how it feels to choose between food and medicine? I do.” – MomsRising member Angelina Scott (pictured below)

Sharing Stories Directly With Elected Leaders in 2022

Personal experiences are powerful and often make a huge difference in moving much-needed policy changes forward, including in helping elected leaders understand how public policies impact families. Eager to speak the truth, MomsRising members submitted thousands of written and video personal stories in 2022. We worked to empower our members and included many of these stories in 11 powerful storybooks sent to the White House, members of Congress, and members of state legislatures. The storybook topics included abortion, hunger, child care, and child tax credits.

We also trained, supported, and empowered our members to share their stories in hearings and other live events with lawmakers where their experiences directly helped shape public policy.

MomsRising member Rosa Walker testified before a House Budget Committee about the investments that Congress must make to help families like hers recover from the pandemic.

“Congress still hasn’t guaranteed workers paid family and medical leave... My family, like so many others, is struggling.”

Hundreds of Live Online Events Reaching 350,000,000+ in 2022

To help shape the national narrative and move much-needed change, MomsRising led and partnered on hundreds of live online events on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, plus our weekly podcast and radio program. These online events educated, engaged and mobilized the public with an audience reach of over 350,000,000 people. Highlights include:

MomsRising Campaign Director Nancy Glynn led the Parent Voices Town Hall in May.

The Parent Voices Town Hall in May featured a panel discussion of parent experts sharing their stories about being parents and advocates of children with disabilities or developmental delays. Produced in partnership with Start Early, UPLAN, the Partnership for America’s Children, the Educational Equity Institute, and state partners, the Town Hall highlighted why parent voices must always be involved in policy-making decisions.

NJ Senator Cory Booker was one of the 40 members of Congress who participated in the MOMibuster.

The Mother’s Day MOMibuster – a filibuster by and for moms and families urging Congress to build the care infrastructure that moms and families, businesses, and our economy need – was a spectacular success. Co-sponsored by more than 100 organizations, the MOMibuster included hundreds of video stories of moms, dads, care workers and caregivers, as well as more than 40 members of Congress and many leaders. 

VISION FOR 2023 AND BEYOND

2022 was a year of legislative policy victories, massive narrative shifting, dynamic MOMentum building, and mighty movement expansion. MomsRising powerfully moved mountains, legislative policy, public narrative, and voters(!!) in 2022. Now, in 2023, we are continuing to rise, to open avenues for even more moms and parents to be heard by those with the power to make the much-needed changes we seek, and to shift the narrative in ways that demonstrate the urgency and widespread support for our work to improve the lives of moms and families in 2023 and beyond.

Together we’re building MOMentum by:

• Turbo-charging much-needed transformational legislative policy change in Congress, state legislatures, and local school boards by building a care infrastructure (childcare, paid family/medical leave, and eldercare/homecare), expanding access to abortion care, and moving forward gun safety, maternal health, fair treatment of immigrant families, youth justice reform, and more.
• Changing the national narrative to one that respects and reflects the paid and unpaid work of moms and caregivers, including by building on the success of the Inflation Reduction Act to show our nation CAN (and must) afford family economic security policies like child care and paid family/ medical leave, along with fairer tax policies which cover new program costs, in order for businesses, our economy, and our families to thrive.
• Igniting our growing movement on a national and local level by expanding our leadership training programs, including by continuously giving moms inspiring actions they can effectively take with school boards, Congress, the White House, and the ballot box to build toward much-needed transformational change that modernizes our public policies.