The Issues

There are more than 85 million mothers in the United States—and they all lack basic support. There is no national paid family leave policy. Childcare is inaccessible and unaffordable. Maternal mortality is a national emergency. But despite being underserved by America’s laws, systems, and culture, and underrepresented in leadership, mothers control the voting and spending power in the U.S.

everyday mothers

Chamber of Mothers is the nonpartisan nonprofit that challenges the uniquely American misconception that motherhood is an individual problem to be solved. We are a powerful, united collective of everyday mothers from every corner of America, bringing our lived experiences, perspectives, and strengths to one shared mission: building a better future for mothers and families. We advocate for what we know mothers and families need:

  • Paid family leave
  • Affordable childcare
  • Improved maternal health

Paid Family Leave

We call on Congress to enact a robust, federally protected paid family and medical leave plan of a minimum of 12 weeks paid at a reasonable living wage that reflects the 85% public approval rating of paid leave. This will provide a floor of support to keep families from having to choose between their jobs and their loved ones.

We can all agree that:

  • The first five years of a child’s life—especially the first few months—are critical to health, well-being, and development.
  • Babies being at home with their parents during these most pivotal months is beneficial to infants and mothers.

The U.S. is the only wealthy country, one of only six countries in the world, without national paid family and medical leave. One in four American women return to work within two weeks of giving birth, leaving them without adequate time to heal from childbirth and without time to spend with their newborn.

Paid leave benefits infants and mothers. Research has shown that paid leave improves both maternal and infant health and decreases rates of infant mortality. It positively impacts the emotional well-being and cognitive development of children and leads to strong parent-child bonds. However, the reality is that most families cannot afford to stay home from work during that time. 74% of mothers would have to use up their cash savings if they took eight weeks of unpaid maternity leave, and more than half of Americans say they don’t have enough money in savings to survive three months.

Paid leave is better for business. The United States would add $775 billion to its GDP per year if women participated in the labor force at rates similar to those in comparable countries with more robust work-family policies. Paid leave contributes to reduced turnover and increased employee engagement and loyalty, leading to significant employer cost savings. In fact, new mothers who take paid leave are more likely than those who take no paid leave to stay in the workforce and 54% more likely to report wage increases.

Paid leave isn’t only for new parents. Most hard-working Americans are only one sick loved-one away from financial hardship. Workers 50 or older who leave the workforce to care for a parent lose an average of more than $300,000 in wages and retirement.

Without paid family and medical leave, Americans are facing impossible choices betweenearning a paycheck and caring for their families.

Affordable Childcare

Families deserve safe, accessible, high-quality, well-compensated childcare for every child ages 0-18. By ensuring families have access to affordable childcare, we can empower parents to pursue careers, grow our economy, and secure a brighter future for the next generation. The private sector cannot solve this problem alone; the government plays a crucial role in supporting a child’s care and well-being from birth to age 5. We call on Congress to pursue solutions that provide families access to high-quality, safe, and affordable care for their children. Childcare facilities are a vital component of the local economic infrastructure.

We can all agree that:

  • All children deserve safe, reliable, quality childcare.
  • Families have the right to choose the childcare structure that works best for them.

Fifty-one percent of Americans, and 60% of those living in rural communities, do not have childcare providers nearby, and nearly three-quarters of working parents say they have experienced challenges with accessing childcare. This is especially true for families who have children with disabilities and parents who work non-traditional hours, such as police officers and nurses.

Even when childcare providers are available, the high costs and concerns over quality create significant barriers for parents. In 2021, the average annual cost of childcare was $10,600 for one child. For married couples, this equates to one-tenth of their median income and more than one-third of a single parent's median income.

These barriers force parents, mostly women, out of the workforce, which resulted in $122 billion in lost revenue, earnings, and productivity in 2022.

Improved Maternal Health Outcomes

We are committed to prioritizing the health, safety, and well-being of mothers and families in America through public and private sector solutions that improve maternal health, reduce maternal mortality, and help mothers everywhere feel cared for and supported. Mothers are the foundation of our families and our future. Investing in maternal health ensures that every child has the best start in life, while reducing long-term healthcare costs for all. We call on Congress to prioritize improving maternal and infant health outcomes in America. Law and policy should be crafted with input from healthcare providers, including maternal mental and physical health clinicians and birth workers.

We can all agree that:

  • The prenatal and postpartum periods can be some of the most vulnerable times of a woman's and child’s life.
  • All mothers and babies deserve quality healthcare.
  • No mother should die a preventable death.

The U.S. has the highest maternal death rate of any high-income country, and more than 80% of maternal deaths are preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

American women across the entire country, in both rural and urban settings, and of all religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, are impacted by the maternal health crisis. Over 2 million women of childbearing age and 130,000 babies don't have access to prenatal care, and despite 13% of babies being born in rural areas, only 6% of maternity care providers practice in these communities. Additionally, Black and Indigenous women are dying at rates of 2 to 3 times that of white women, and over the last 20 years, maternal death rates have tripled in the South and quintupled in the Midwest.

The maternal health crisis is a family crisis. Every maternal death is one too many. When a mother dies or is disabled in childbirth, there are long-term economic consequences to her surviving family and community, including financial instability, loss of education among surviving children, increased mortality among surviving children, and difficulty managing the household for the father or partner, leading to family separation and damaged family integrity.