Big wins in North Carolina; Safe streaming for kids; West Virginia child care victory; Birthright citizenship decision
On the Radio Show This Week:
- We start by celebrating significant policy wins for families in North Carolina, including advancements in childcare subsidies and paid parental leave, and discuss how state-level progress influences national policy.
- After that, we explore the challenges parents (and children) face with current digital media and delve into solutions for creating safer streaming environments for young audiences.
- Next, we turn our attention to a major child care victory in West Virginia and examine how bipartisan efforts led to crucial legislative successes even in a challenging political landscape.
- Finally, we close the show by addressing the important birthright citizenship decision and the importance of the fair treatment of immigrant families.
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Special Guests
Ruth Martin & Beth Messersmith, MomsRising, @MomsRising @MamásConPoder; Brenda Bisner, Kidoodle.TV, @Kidoodle.TV, @kidoodletv; Amy Jo Hutchison, MomsRising, @MomsRising @MamásConPoder; Wendy Cervantes, Center for Law and Social Policy, @CLASP_DC, @clasp.org, @clasp_dc
Episode Highlights & Guest Quotes
Birthright Citizenship & Immigrant Families ()
“In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the executive order that Trump issued on day one of his administration on birthright citizenship was struck down. They upheld birthright citizenship as we have always known it to be. At the end of the day, this was fundamentally a question about who belongs in the US and who has the right to citizenship, as well as how our country treats babies in the earliest days of life.”
— Wendy Cervantes, Director of Immigration and Immigrant Families, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
State-Level Wins for Paid Leave & Workplace Justice ()
“The states are really where the innovation happens. We now have over two dozen states that have paid family/medical leave, paid sick days and accommodations for pregnant workers. It's really energizing to be able to see this happen in your actual backyard and know if we can do it there, we can certainly do it anywhere.”
— Ruth Martin, Senior Vice President & Chief Workplace Justice Officer, MomsRising
Transforming Childcare Funding in North Carolina ()
“This week has been full of wins largely driven by the fact that moms have been speaking out for years on these issues. The budget that they passed in North Carolina included the creation of a childcare subsidy market rate floor. This will help equalize what rural communities get. It'll help stop our childcare closures, help fund our childcare workforce, and make childcare more affordable and available for families here in North Carolina. It came with a $97 million recurring appropriation which we are incredibly excited about.”
— Beth Messersmith, Senior Director, North Carolina State Moms Force, MomsRising
Accessible Grassroots Organizing & Community Building ()
“We tell everyone here there's a spot for whatever you're gifted in doing. Maybe we're going to have an event and you're the woman who likes to make sandwiches and pack coolers for people. It doesn't have to be intimidating or a place where you don't feel like you belong, because we all belong there. Then hopefully we'll bring friends because it's easier to be in awkward places when you're not by yourself.”
— Amy Jo Hutchison, West Virginia Campaign Director, MomsRising
Navigating Screen Time & Digital Values ()
“Parents, you’re just trying to survive, and screen time is not the enemy. We have to teach our people how to use these things appropriately, just like when we were little, it was, ‘Don't talk to strangers, look both ways before you cross the street, and by all means, don't go down a dark alleyway way full of drug addicts.’ We’ve got to find similar rules in our houses, and those rules happen at home around the values that you put in place.”
— Brenda Bisner, Chief Content Officer, Kidoodle.TV
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