Moms First teamed up with partners to mobilize
thousands of moms and allies to successfully urge CNN to ask about
child care at the debate
NEW
YORK, June 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night,
at the urging of Moms First and nearly 15,000 moms and allies, the
presidential debate moderators asked the candidates about child
care at the first debate of the 2024 election. In a victory for
American families, CNN's Jake Tapper
asked President Biden and former President Trump how they would
lower child care costs for American families, citing a new report
that found that the average cost of child care for two children is
now higher than the average cost of rent in all 50 states.
Moms First and the 15,000 moms who signed
our petition successfully elevated child care to the presidential
debate stage
"For too long, child care has been seen as a personal
issue that moms must solve on their own – not as an economic issue
that is required for women to work. The reality is, the cost of
child care — the cost of motherhood — has become untenable. And no
family should be forced into debt to pay for child care," said
Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of
Moms First. "Last night, CNN made it clear that the voices of
moms matter by asking the candidates about their plan to address
child care costs. Moms First and the 15,000 moms who signed our
petition successfully elevated child care to the national stage.
Now, we need our candidates to actually answer us."
Saujani: "When asked directly about their plans to
lower child care costs, both candidates spent the majority of the
time bickering and only President Biden briefly addressed the
question — leaving millions of moms and families out to dry. Moms
First is disappointed that our presidential candidates failed to
acknowledge the seriousness of our child care crisis and its impact
on American mothers. As candidates vie for votes this election
season, they should not underestimate the power of moms. We are a
powerful constituency that cannot be ignored. And we deserve real,
substantive solutions to this crisis."
Moms First teamed up with Blue Star Families, Bobbie, Care.com,
Count on Mothers, Equimundo, Fair Play Policy Institute, Happiest
Baby, LIFT, National Association for Family Child Care, National
Parents Union, Red Wine and Blue,
ROE v BROS, The Mom Project, Share Our Strength, and Vivvi on the
petition, demonstrating the power of collective action in our
efforts to solve the child care crisis.
About Moms First
Moms First is a national, nonprofit
organization transforming our workplaces, communities, and culture
to enable moms to thrive. Our grassroots movement of 1.1 million
moms and supporters is dedicated to changing the story of the
American experience of motherhood and finishing the fight for
gender equality in our country by winning the support that moms
need and deserve, including child care, paid leave, and equal pay.
Learn more at momsfirst.us.
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SOURCE Moms First