With the
MomsRising released its first
"What would it look like if we had a gold standard for child care policies in our country?" says Lauren Hipp, director of early learning at MomsRising. "We gathered moms from across the country and started building out what key things moms and families want and need from child care."
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If MomsRising gave a candidate a seal, it means they not only want to build better child care policies but are committing to policies that embody three essential components: affordability, accessibility and quality.
To meet the requirements for affordability, the policy should ensure every family has access to publicly-supported early learning opportunities and families pay no more than $10 per day for child care. For comparison, the average weekly cost for daycare was $321 in 2023, according to Care.com.
As for accessibility, MomsRising stipulates that the policy should ensure families have the flexibility to choose the right child care provider or center. Quality means child care educators earn family-sustaining wages and benefits and have substantial resources at their disposal to be effective providers in their communities.
However, the seal goes beyond offering candidates a gold standard — it also allows MomsRising to know which candidates should be held accountable for their promises to American families, underlines Hipp.
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"We're asking candidates who received the Moms' Seal of Approval to commit to working in partnership with families and uphold components moms have identified as vital to comprehensive policy solutions," she says. "That way, we can have some accountability and push elected leaders to deliver on their promises."
Hipp emphasizes that this election has a lot of issues at stake, whether it's child care, reproductive healthcare or immigration. She encourages voters to take the time to understand where candidates stand, from the presidential level down to county and local offices.
"It's important to think about how these issues impact you, at home, at your kitchen table," says Hipp. "Think about the things that you care about the most deeply, that are impacting yourself and your family and your neighbors."
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In the meantime, Hipp asks that voters double-check they're registered to vote and plan how they will vote, whether it will be by mail or heading to the polls.
"We understand this isn't a normal election," says Hipp. "There is a lot at stake this November, especially regarding the presidential election. We're talking about preserving our democracy, and the choices could not be more stark. This is a real decision for us as a country: What road do we want to go down?"
