Motherhood

All women should have the right to choose if or when to be mothers, and to have the economic and social support to do so. This choice has been restricted across time and place due to discriminatory legislation against mothers and pregnant people, lackluster social safety nets and anti-abortion/anti-birth control movements.

The Childcare Crisis Hampers Opportunity for America’s Families

Half of all U.S. families live in childcare deserts with either inadequate or nonexistent licensed childcare to rely on for support. Within this landscape, many parents are forced to make difficult decisions about their children’s care or their own jobs, not because it’s what they think is best for their family, but because they lack any other options.

As the incoming Trump administration readies itself for office, early childhood advocates must press any advantage to keep childcare and early learning a top priority.

‘Take Beauty From Ashes’: Advocating for Felony Murder Law Reform

In 2017, Briana Martinson, then 20, and Megan Cater, 19, went to the apartment of a man whom they believed had stolen medication from Martinson, with the intent to steal it back. By the time they arrived at the apartment, Martinson and Cater were joined by several other individuals, two of whom were older men that the women did not know. According to Martinson, one of the men threatened them with a gun before entering, at which point she realized, “Okay, there’s no turning back.”

In the end, they were each sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison for aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional felony murder.

Was this a case of wrongful conviction? It’s complicated.

From Subsidized Housing to Homeownership: A Single Mom’s Journey of Growth, Grit and Guaranteed Income

Front & Center began as first-person accounts of Black mothers living in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income. Moving into the fourth year and next phase of this series, we’re expanding our focus beyond a single policy intervention to include a broader examination of systemic issues impacting Black women experiencing poverty. This means diving deeper into the interconnected challenges they face—including navigating the existing safety net; healthcare, childcare and elder care; and the importance of mental, physical and spiritual well-being. .

“When I learned about the Magnolia Mother’s Trust program, it felt like a lifeline during a tough time when I was recovering from multiple eye surgeries. I have a lot of eye issues and bad vision and currently need new glasses but the cost is just too high, and I’m trying really hard to protect my savings. … It’s important for me to prioritize my children’s needs over unnecessary spending on wants. I’m also figuring out other ways to save, like refinancing my vehicle with a better interest rate. I hadn’t even had a checking account in years until the MMT program.”

Is Adoption Reform a Missing Element in the Fight for Reproductive Justice?

Fresh out of college, with no support from my baby’s father and still relying on my parents, I was thrust into a world of limited options and impossible choices. Little did I know that choosing what society labels “the loving option” would expose me to an unregulated industry rife with predation. Though I have a successful open adoption and immense love for the family I chose, I was unprepared for the depth of my sorrow, shame and guilt—and I had been given no warning.

As we forge ahead in the brawl for fundamental rights, I hope the reproductive justice movement remembers to carry with it the territory of adoption reform.

The Power of the Single Mom Vote

Single moms are closest to the issues in the 2024 election. Here’s why we need to talk more about their voting power.

Single moms are often described as superheroes, but unlike fictional heroes, they work through real-world challenges—providing stability, security, and support to millions of American families every day. In the 30 percent of U.S. households led by single mothers, moms don’t just do a lot—they do it all. More than just caregivers, they’re often sole providers and teachers, imparting everything from teaching us to tie our shoes to learning our ABCs, while navigating the pressures of work and family alone. And, in the upcoming 2024 election, they hold a unique power that often goes unrecognized: their voting influence.

Front and Center: ‘If You Lose Your Job, You Lose Your Childcare. How Are You Supposed to Make That Work?’ Asks Mississippi Mom of Five

Front & Center began as first-person accounts of Black mothers living in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income. Moving into the fourth year and next phase of this series, we’re expanding our focus beyond a single policy intervention to include a broader examination of systemic issues impacting Black women experiencing poverty. This means diving deeper into the interconnected challenges they face—including navigating the existing safety net; healthcare, childcare and elder care; and the importance of mental, physical and spiritual well-being.

“I really think Trump looks down on people like me,” writes Debra, a single mother taking care of her five children, plus her grandmother and niece. “That’s not the type of person I want leading the country. … People with criminal records can’t even get a job at Walmart. But a felon can run for president?”

How Care Became a Key Issue This Election

In response to voters’ needs and demands, the issue of care has been receiving outsized attention during this year’s election season. 

“If there’s no one to work because there’s no one to care, then we have a problem,” said Ai-jen Poo, founder of Caring Across Generations.

“If the lack of affordable and accessible childcare is what’s holding women back from reaching their economic potential, then we should make childcare affordable and accessible,” said Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First. “As we head into the final weeks of the election, one thing is clear: The conversation has shifted. Childcare has finally been elevated into the national conversation.”

Abortion Ad ‘Something’s Missing’ Spotlights the Families Left Behind

2024 has seen a flurry of abortion-themed campaign ads, from January’s ad featuring Dr. Austin Dennard, the OB-GYN in Texas denied an abortion for her dangerous pregnancy, to July’s featuring testimony from Hadley Duvall, the Kentucky woman raped and impregnated by her stepfather as a child.

Now, in the wake of horrors like Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller’s 2022 deaths—officially deemed “preventable” by a Georgia maternal health board last week— the latest ad from All* Above All and Project 68 hones in on the families left behind when abortion bans kill women by keeping them from life-saving care.