“NO COUNTRY FOR MOTHERS” PREMIERES IN NEW YORK CITY AS MOMS FIRST LAUNCHES THE AMERICAN MOTHERHOOD TOUR

Marquee tour stops in New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco anchor a nationwide screening initiative, with more than 1,000 community-led screenings planned across all 50 states

June 15, 2026 NEW YORK, NY — Moms First, the national nonprofit fighting for America’s moms, tonight premieres No Country for Mothers, the record-breaking feature documentary directed by Raeshem Nijhon and produced by Emmy-nominated Culture House Media, Tan France’s French Tuck Media, formula company Bobbie, and Moms First. The premiere at Gitano in New York City marks the official launch of the American Motherhood Tour, a historic nationwide screening initiative bringing the film, and the movement behind it, to communities in every state.

The American Motherhood Tour is anchored by five marquee city screenings, beginning tonight in New York and continuing in Minneapolis on June 23, Chicago on June 29, Washington, D.C on July 15, and San Francisco on September 28. The marquee events will be joined by more than 1,000 grassroots community screenings hosted by mothers, allies, and advocates in all 50 states. The tour is timed to the 250th anniversary of America.

“Tonight in New York is the beginning, not the end,” said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First. “From tonight forward, this film belongs to the moms of this country. Over the next several weeks, thousands of you will pack rooms in Minneapolis and Chicago and San Francisco, and in small towns from Maine to Alaska, to watch this story together. The American Motherhood Tour is how we turn outrage into organizing. Because we are done waiting for someone to build a country for mothers. We are going to build it ourselves.”

THE PREMIERE | NEW YORK CITY | JUNE 15 | GITANO

Tonight’s premiere at Gitano in New York City will feature a red carpet arrival, an invitation-only screening, and a post-film panel with Reshma Saujani, Director Raeshem Nijhon, and several featured voices in the film including economist Kathryn Anne Edwards, psychoanalyst and author Erica Komisar, and Nadia Mondésir, a working mother featured in the film. The conversation will be moderated by Danielle McNally, the Executive Editor of InStyle. The stop is made possible with generous support from Amplify Her Foundation, Stardust Foundation, and Waymo. 

“There is nothing more powerful than watching mothers see themselves on a screen and realize they were never alone,” said Director Raeshem Nijhon. “Tonight is the first time audiences will experience the full film. Every tour stop after this is going to look and sound a little different, because motherhood in America looks and sounds a little different in every city. That is exactly the point.”

“At Amplify Her Foundation, we know that working caregivers – and working mothers in particular – cannot thrive without access to affordable childcare. It is not a personal problem; it is a systemic one. That is why we are proud to support Moms First and No Country for Mothers. Amplify Her Foundation stands firmly in support of expanded, affordable childcare access – because the women and girls we serve cannot build the futures they deserve without it,” said Marti Speranza Wong, Founder & Executive Director, Amplify Her Foundation.

“Waymo is proud to partner with Moms First to bring attention to the unique challenges mothers face every day. Whether it’s supporting their commute to work, getting home safely at night, or helping with carpool, we remain steadfast in our commitment to empowering all women with solutions that expand how they move through the world with the confidence, accessibility, and flexibility they need,” said Heather Aijian, Head of Public Affairs, Waymo.

MINNEAPOLIS | JUNE 23 | THE GUTHRIE

The Minneapolis stop of the American Motherhood Tour brings the film to a city that knows what it looks like to fight for families. This event is designed to connect the film’s message to local action, convening policymakers, nonprofit advocates, community organizers, and parents to watch together, hear from the people doing the work, and leave with a sense of shared purpose. Minnesota has been a leader on paid leave and child care, but the fight isn’t over. This gathering is a chance to celebrate that progress, name what’s still missing, and build the community of advocates who will see it through.

The Minneapolis screening at The Guthrie will feature a panel of local leaders, including Shelley Carthen Watson, President and CEO of YWCA Minneapolis, Alice Mann, Minnesota State Senator and chief author of Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave bill, Ashley Gustner, a parent organizer with the Minnesota Parents and Community Coalition for Childcare, and moderation by LaToya J. Burrell of the Anderson Foundation. The stop is made possible with generous support from the Anderson Foundation.

CHICAGO | JUNE 29 | ROOFTOP CINEMA CLUB

The Chicago screening at the Rooftop Cinema Club at Emily Hotel will feature remarks from First Lady of Illinois MK Pritzker and a post-screening conversation with Reshma Saujani and Director Raeshem Nijhon.

WASHINGTON, D.C. | JULY 15 | VITAL VOICES

The Washington, DC stop goes straight to the heart of the policy conversation. This event will translate the film’s message into policy momentum, convening advocates, organizers, funders, elected officials, and movement leaders to watch the film together, hear from the people fighting to change the system, and leave ready to act. 

The event is co-hosted by A Better Balance, Caring Across Generations, Chamber of Mothers, COURIER, Democracy Forward, MomsRising, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Paid Leave for All, Re-Scripting Gender Work Family and Care Initiative at New America, Vital Voices, and Vote Mama. It will feature remarks from Ai-jen Poo, President of Caring Across Generations, Care in Action, and National Domestic Workers Alliance; Tara McGowan, Publisher and CEO of COURIER; Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward; and Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO of MomsRising.

SAN FRANCISCO | SEPTEMBER 28 | PRESIDIO THEATRE PERFORMING ARTS

The San Francisco event will close out the initial marquee leg of the American Motherhood Tour with a reception and screening event at the historic Presidio Theater Performing Arts. Additional details, including program, will be announced in the coming weeks.

A NATIONWIDE GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT

Beyond the marquee stops, more than 1,000 grassroots screenings will take place in living rooms, libraries, churches, schools, and theaters across the country, organized through the Moms First Host Hub at NoCountryForMothers.com. Hosts and audiences will be invited to take action immediately following each screening by signing the organization’s “Support Not Shame” pledge at https://momsfirst.us/pledge/. The pledge is a commitment to build a motherhood culture rooted in support, respect, and community and not judgment, isolation, or division. By signing, individuals join a growing movement of people who believe moms deserve better and who want to help build a culture where moms feel backed up, not torn down. Attendees will also be encouraged to sign up to host their own screenings, bringing the film to every community in the country. 

“We’re not putting the film up online yet because we want people to watch it together,” continued Saujani. “Moms in this country have been getting conned since the ink dried on the Constitution. When moms watch the documentary and learn the history, I think they’re going to be outraged and fired up. And in my experience, there’s nothing more powerful than a pissed off mom.”

SCREENINGS, PRESS, AND ASSETS

To request a screening, become a host, or join the tour, visit NoCountryForMothers.com. Press materials, including the trailer, key art, production stills, and a fact sheet on the world record, are available at https://tinyurl.com/no-country-for-mothers.

The film and nationwide screening tour are made possible with generous support from Bobbie, The Life Story Initiative, and the local funding partners listed above, among others.

“Bobbie was built on a simple idea: when you actually listen to moms, you build something better,” said Sarah Hardy, Co-Founder of Bobbie, the first mom-founded and led infant formula brand in the U.S. “That same idea is what makes No Country for Mothers so important. As an executive producer on this film, we are proud to stand alongside Moms First and the thousands of moms who refused to be invisible any longer. The story of motherhood in this country is finally being told by mothers themselves, and we cannot wait for the world to hear it.”

“The systems failing mothers are often the same systems that leave women vulnerable to trafficking and sexual exploitation,” said Lena Sinha, Executive Director of The Life Story Initiative. “Exploitation thrives in the gaps left by unaffordable childcare, unstable housing, economic insecurity, and a lack of support for caregivers. That is why our partnership with Moms First is so important. The work of supporting mothers is anti-exploitation work. We stand alongside Moms First to advance solutions that expand opportunity and create conditions where women and children can be free from exploitation.”

“This film tells the story of American motherhood while also inviting communities to demand something better,” said Rebecca Lichtenfeld, Executive Director, InMaat Foundation. “That intersection of truth-telling and collective action is what InMaat loves to support. We are proud to stand behind this film and the movement it is building.”

About Moms First

Moms First is a national nonprofit organization fighting for America’s moms, founded by Reshma Saujani, who is also the founder of Girls Who Code. Moms First is dedicated to advancing policies that support moms, including affordable child care and paid family leave, while spearheading a movement to reposition motherhood and these policies as economic imperatives that allow families to thrive. Cultural change and movement building are central to the organization’s work. Moms First events, campaigns, and thought leadership break through the noise to garner national media attention, shape the cultural and political zeitgeist, and mobilize America’s moms and allies to become activists on these issues. Learn more at www.momsfirst.us.

About Culture House Media

Culture House is an Emmy, Critics Choice, NAACP, IDA and Gotham Award nominated women-owned media company shaping culture through entertainment. Culture House produces premium film and television, top tier work with brands, and live immersive experiences. Select projects include the upcoming Gifted and Black: The Verzuz Story with Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and Lena Waithe for Amazon Prime; the Disney+ series Growing Up with Brie Larson; The Hair Tales for Hulu with Tracee Ellis Ross and Oprah Winfrey; Ladies First for Netflix with Queen Latifah; and the Black Twitter series for Hulu. Culture House is co-creator of the Everybody’s Fight short film series about reproductive justice alongside Karlie Kloss and Phoebe Gates, which world premiered at SXSW 2026. Learn more at www.culture.house.

Media Contact

press@momsfirst.us

“NO COUNTRY FOR MOTHERS” BREAKS WORLD RECORD FOR MOST PRODUCERS ON A FILM AHEAD OF JUNE 15 PREMIERE

Moms First releases trailer today and launches one of the largest grassroots screening tours in documentary history, with more than 1000 community screenings slated across the country

May 7, 2026 NEW YORK, NY – Moms First, the national nonprofit fighting for America’s moms, today unveiled No Country for Mothers, a feature documentary that has broken the world record for the most producers credited on a film. The record-breaking film, directed by Raeshem Nijhon and produced by Emmy-nominated Culture House Media, Tan France’s French Tuck Media, formula company Bobbie, and national non-profit organization Moms First, will premiere on June 15, 2026. The trailer is available now at NoCountryForMothers.com.

Beginning the night of the premiere, No Country for Mothers will roll out through a historic grassroots screening tour, with more than 1000 screenings hosted by moms and allies in all 50 states. The tour is designed to translate the film’s message into local action on the policies that shape moms’ lives, including paid family leave and affordable child care.

A WORLD RECORD BUILT BY MOMS

The record-setting producer credit reflects the film’s central premise: that motherhood in America is not a private struggle but a collective one. More than 2,500 mothers, caregivers, and advocates signed on to support the film, share their story, and host a screening – beating the previous world record of 1,468 producers held since 1991 by the Japanese film Senso to Seishin. With this world record, No Country for Mothers turns its production into a movement. 

“This country asks mothers to do the impossible, and then blames us when we cannot,” said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First. “The system was never built for us. We are done being told we have to choose between our ambition and our kids. That is the truth at the heart of No Country for Mothers, and it is why so many of us came together to make it. It is time we build a country for mothers, and this film is how we start.”

AN EXTENDED LOOK AT THE FILM

The trailer, released today at NoCountryForMothers.com, offers a deeper look at the film’s investigation into the lies used throughout American history to distract and divide mothers. Through archival footage, intimate interviews, and on-the-ground reporting, No Country for Mothers follows Reshma Saujani as she learns about the manufactured divides, meets moms mothers living in the messy middle, and leads a national movement to reunite moms and win historic support, including affordable child care. 

“As a mom of 3- and 7-year-old boys, this film feels like it’s speaking my mind,” said Director Raeshem Nijhon. “It captures the pressure, the complexity, and the often unseen but pervasive politics shaping motherhood today. This is exactly the work we believe in at Culture House, where we bridge policy and culture through storytelling. So when the opportunity to work with Reshma and Moms First – who are at the forefront of the motherhood movement in this country – arose, we dove in. As a filmmaker, I want moms to know: this film is for you. We see you. We’ve got you. I hope it compels us to band together, break through the culture wars, and demand real progress that lifts up all moms in America.”

A PREMIERE, AND A MOVEMENT

The film will premiere on Monday, June 15, 2026, at an exclusive screening in New York City. Following the premiere, over a 1000 grassroots screenings will take place in communities across the country, hosted by mothers, advocates, faith leaders, educators, and elected officials. Organizers say the tour will be one of the largest community-led documentary rollouts ever attempted in the United States. The tour is timed to the 250th anniversary of America.

“We’re not putting the film up online yet because we want people to watch it together,” continued Saujani. “Moms in this country have been getting conned since the ink dried on the Constitution. When moms watch the documentary and learn the history, I think they’re going to be outraged and fired up. And in my experience, there’s nothing more powerful than a pissed off mom.”  

Hosts and audiences will be invited to take action immediately following each screening, with tools to join Moms First’s organizing network, get informed ahead of the midterms, and support state and federal policies that benefit mothers and families.

“When Reshma told me what she was building, I knew I had to be part of it,” said Tan France, executive producer. “As a parent, I see every day how much moms hold up, and how little support they get in return. No Country for Mothers is a love letter to them, and a wake-up call to the rest of us. I hope every person who watches it walks away ready to do something about it.”

“Bobbie was built on a simple idea: when you actually listen to moms, you build something better,” said Sarah Hardy, Co-Founder of Bobbie, the first mom-founded and led infant formula brand in the U.S. “That same idea is what makes No Country for Mothers so important. As an executive producer on this film, we are proud to stand alongside Moms First and the thousands of moms who refused to be invisible any longer. The story of motherhood in this country is finally being told by mothers themselves, and we cannot wait for the world to hear it.”

SCREENINGS, PRESS, AND ASSETS

To request a screening, become a host, or join the tour, visit the Host Hub at NoCountryForMothers.com. Press materials, including the trailer, key art, production stills, and a fact sheet on the world record, are available at https://tinyurl.com/no-country-for-mothers.

The film and nationwide screening tour are made possible with generous support from Bobbie and The Life Story Initiative, among other funders. 

About Moms First

Moms First is a national nonprofit organization fighting for America’s moms, founded by Reshma Saujani, who is also the founder of Girls Who Code. Moms First is dedicated to advancing policies that support moms, including affordable child care and paid family leave, while spearheading a movement to reposition motherhood and these policies as economic imperatives that allow families to thrive. Cultural change and movement building are central to the organization’s work. Moms First events, campaigns, and thought leadership break through the noise to garner national media attention, shape the cultural and political zeitgeist, and mobilize America’s moms and allies to become activists on these issues. Learn more at www.momsfirst.us.

About Culture House Media

Culture House is an Emmy, Critics Choice, NAACP, IDA and Gotham Award nominated women owned media company shaping culture through entertainment. We produce premium film and television, top tier work with brands and live immersive experiences. Select projects include the upcoming Gifted and Black : The Verzuz Story with Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and Lena Waithe for Amazon Prime, Disney+ series, Growing Up, with Brie Larson about revisiting our adolescence, The Hair Tales about Black women’s hair and beauty for Hulu with Tracee Ellis Ross and Oprah Winfrey, Ladies First for Netflix about women in hip hop with Queen Latifah, the Black Twitter series for Hulu. Culture House is Co-Creator of the Everybody’s Fight short film series about reproductive justice alongside Karlie Kloss and Phoebe Gates. The series world premiered at SXSW 2026. www.culture.house

Media Contact

press@momsfirst.us

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Child Care Disruptions Create Up to $70 Billion in Opportunity for U.S. Businesses, Moms First Finds

The greatest opportunity lies in foundational workers — roles AI can’t easily replace — and the businesses that depend on them.

New York, April 15, 2026 — As U.S. companies face historic instability driven by artificial intelligence, automation, and global disruption, a new analysis identifies a proven opportunity to stabilize the workforce: child care. Child care disruptions cost the U.S. up to $70 billion annually in lost productivity, turnover, and absenteeism, according to a new report released by Moms First’s National Business Coalition for Child Care, a growing network of companies making child care a business priority, with analysis provided by McKinsey & Company.

The “Foundational Workers Report” draws on a national survey of 1,700 working parents, along with census and labor market data and interviews with leading employers across the nation. 

The research finds that at the center of the opportunity are foundational workers, critical human-dependent roles across industries such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, retail, and hospitality that persist even as AI is widely adopted. Notably, foundational workers account for approximately 80% of the U.S. workforce. These workers account for approximately $35-45 billion of that loss, roughly the size of Netflix’s annual revenue, making access to reliable and affordable child care a necessity for the stability of the workforce and our economy.

“As companies race to adopt AI, the foundational workers our entire society depends on aren’t going anywhere,” said Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Moms First. “Without child care, they can’t work. When a nurse can’t find last-minute care, that’s a shift missed. When a teacher’s daycare closes, a classroom goes unstaffed. If companies want a chance at growing in an era of disruption, investing in child care is one of the smartest bets they can make.”

Key findings include:

• Foundational workers account for $35-$45 billion, or 60 percent, of total employer losses from child care disruptions
• Nine in ten parents say child care disruptions have caused them to miss work, reduce hours, leave a job, or exit the workforce
  
• Addressing the gap would have an economic impact comparable to adding roughly one million full-time workers to the U.S. labor force, or doubling the entire workforce of San Francisco
  
• Targeted employer-interventions can have an average ROI of 5-300% or higher
  

“We often think about infrastructure as roads, ports, or power grids—but child care plays a similarly critical role,” said Ramya Parthasarathy, Partner at McKinsey & Company. “It enables millions of workers to participate in the economy each day, and when access is disrupted, businesses see the impact through absenteeism, turnover, and lost productivity.”

Addressing the United States’ child care crisis requires bold public policy, however, the report indicates that companies can take immediate, practical steps to ensure foundational workers have access to affordable and reliable child care.

The companies highlighted in this report demonstrate that solutions are practical and effective. Programs such as backup care, predictable scheduling, child care stipends, and on-site or nearby centers are linked to measurable improvements in workforce stability, retention, and productivity among foundational workers.

The report argues that, for the foundational workforce, child care is no longer a “nice-to-have” but a competitive differentiator for companies who rely on foundational workers. 

With rising child care costs, ongoing provider shortages and demographic trends increasing caregiving demand, the question for employers is no longer whether to act, but whether they can afford not to.

The Foundational Workers Report is available at momsfirst.us/foundational-workers-report

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About Moms First

Moms First is fighting for America’s moms. Our mission is to win paid leave and child care as economic imperatives that allow families to thrive. Our vision is a country that values motherhood and supports moms and families.

Learn more at momsfirst.us.

As America Marks 250 Years, Moms First Launches “The Motherhood Lectures” to Tell the Hidden History of Motherhood in America and Challenge Persistent Myths

Series launches as Moms First mobilizes thousands of moms nationwide ahead of June 2025 documentary release and American Motherhood Tour

New York, NY —  As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Moms First debuts “The Motherhood Lectures,” a new online series that examines the history of motherhood in America and the myth-making, division, and distraction that has characterized the treatment of American mothers since the nation’s founding.

The online series debuts as American motherhood is at an inflection point. Last year, nearly 500,000 women left the workforce, the greatest exodus of women since the pandemic. Women – and mostly, moms of young kids – are being pushed out of the labor market by both the skyrocketing cost of child care and a cultural narrative that tells mothers their issues are personal and that their choices are to become a “girl boss” or a “trad wife”.  The lack of structural support and false choices are designed to keep women and mothers divided and distracted. 

Filmed in front of a live audience at NYU Law’s Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center, the series traces flashpoints in American history where moms were excluded from power and intentionally divided, from the founding of the country in 1787 to the rise of the “bad mother” in the mid-20th century and today. Through a series of historical vignettes, Reshma reveals how for 250 years American motherhood has been mythologized, moralized, and monetized.

“For 250 years moms in America have been conned into believing their struggle is theirs alone,” said Reshma Saujani, the founder and CEO of Moms First. “We’re not taught the history of motherhood, and that’s on purpose. You won’t find a section in a textbook about how moms have been strategically exhausted, isolated, and divided. That’s what I’m unveiling: American motherhood was never set up to work. This isn’t a personal failure. This is policy by design.”

For the past three years, Moms First has focused its national media and mobilization efforts on reshaping how America values motherhood. “The Motherhood Lectures” continues that effort, equipping moms with the historical and political context to understand that the challenges they face are not individual shortcomings, but a con that has gone on for centuries. 

The series also marks the newest expansion of Moms First’s growing national impact campaign tied to its June 2025 premiere of a documentary about motherhood.

Momentum is building nationwide:

• Moms First has recruited thousands of moms as Associate Producers and hundreds have signed up to host watch parties across the country.
• The organization will launch the American Motherhood Tour, beginning with a flagship event in New York City, followed by stops in Minneapolis, Chicago, and San Francisco
• The series premiere follows TIME naming Reshma Saujani one of its 2026 Women of the Year, recognizing her work as a movement builder tearing down barriers that stand in the way of women’s progress.

The first episode of “The Motherhood Lectures” is now available across Moms First’s social platforms, including  Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.

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Moms First is fighting for America’s moms. Our mission is to win paid leave and child care as economic imperatives that allow families to thrive. Our vision is a country that values motherhood and supports moms and families.

Learn more at momsfirst.us.

Reshma Saujani Named to TIME’s Annual Women of the Year List Recognizing 16 Leaders Working Toward A More Equitable World

From Girls Who Code to Moms First, Saujani is challenging the systems that have historically set women up to fail.

New York, NY — TIME named Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First and the visionary behind Girls Who Code, to its annual TIME Women of the Year list, recognizing 16 women leaders working toward a better, more equitable world. The full list of honorees and related tributes will appear in a Women of the Year issue of TIME, available on newsstands beginning Friday, February 27, 2026, and now at time.com/woty.

“To be recognized as one of TIME’s Women of the Year at a moment when it feels risky to fight for women, that is the best acknowledgment I could imagine,” said Saujani. “I’m a serial movement builder, and my work is to break down every barrier that stands in the way of women and girls’ progress.”

Through Moms First, Saujani has reframed unpaid caregiving as an economic issue, mobilized thousands of moms, and driven policy wins, including $16 billion in federal investments for child care and state-level programs expanding affordable access.

The honor comes as Saujani prepares to release her groundbreaking documentary (watch the trailer & learn more) in June 2026. The film chronicles how mothers in America have long been systematically set up to fail, explores the culture war that forces women to choose between work and family, and highlights a nationwide movement to unite mothers and demand structural support. Thousands of moms are already involved as associate producers. The film will then go on a national screening tour with hundreds of watch parties across the country this summer.

TIME’s Women of the Year recognition celebrates Saujani’s fearless leadership, her ability to merge cultural advocacy with systemic policy change, and her ongoing mission to empower a new generation of women and moms to demand equity and opportunity.

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About Moms First

Moms First is fighting for America’s moms. Our mission is to win paid leave and child care as economic imperatives that allow families to thrive. Our vision is a country that values motherhood and supports moms and families. Learn more at momsfirst.us.

Nearly 9,000 Register for Moms First’s “Motherhood Live,” a Night of Culture, Community, and Change

Featuring Gloria Steinem, Ilana Glazer, Emily Oster, Reshma Saujani, and national leaders organizing moms across the country

NEW YORK — On January 26, Moms First hosted Motherhood Live, a virtual gathering that brought together thousands moms and allies from across the country for an urgent conversation about what it means to be a mother in America today, and how collective action can change what comes next. 

The event featured an extraordinary lineup including Gloria Steinem, Ilana Glazer, Emily Oster, Anna Malaika Tubbs, Shannon Watts, Katie Bethell, Isabel González Whitaker, Rev. Jennifer Ikoma-Motzko, Minister JaNaé Bates Imari, Jackie Payne, Senator Erin Maye Quade, and Moms First Founder and CEO Reshma Saujani, alongside organizers and mothers on the frontlines of their communities.

“We are living in very dangerous and exhausting times,” said Reshma Saujani, opening the event. “But tonight is about understanding what’s happening, naming it, and remembering what’s possible when mothers refuse to disappear.”

The conversation featured Minnesota organizers and clergy, including State Senator Erin Maye Quade, Rev. Jennifer Ikoma-Motzko, and Minister JaNaé Bates Imari, describing the daily threats in their community. Reverend Jennifer, a Minnesota pastor, shared how moms are stepping up in extraordinary ways—organizing mutual aid, standing watch at bus stops, and leading prayer and protest—despite the ever-present risk of violence. The speakers underscored the resilience and collective action of Minnesota families, showing how ordinary parents are responding with courage and care to a crisis that reverberates far beyond their state.

Throughout the night, the conversation returned again and again to a shared theme: motherhood has always been political, and mothers have always been powerful.

Speakers shared personal stories and practical strategies, covering caregiving, work, public policy, organizing, and the challenges families face today, showing how mothers are already shaping the future, not waiting for it.

The event concluded with Saujani’s closing remarks: “No one is coming to save moms. But moms can save the nation.”

About Moms First

Moms First is fighting for America’s moms. Our mission is to win paid leave and child care as economic imperatives that allow families to thrive. Our vision is a country that values motherhood and supports moms and families. Learn more at momsfirst.us.

Governor Hochul Announces Historic Investment in Child Care in Major Win for New York Families

After years of relentless advocacy, Moms First helped push New York to make child care a top economic priority for families and the workforce.

New York, NY — Today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a historic child care investment for New York, including free child care for two-year-olds in New York City, a milestone made possible by a fundamental shift in how child care fights are won.

For decades, child care was framed as a personal struggle for moms, not as a core economic issue for employers and the state. Moms First helped change that, and New York is now the proof point.

“Governor Hochul’s announcement is a turning point for families across the state,” said Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Moms First. “It shows what’s possible when parents, businesses, and policymakers come together and treat child care as the economic priority it has always been. New York just proved it can be done, now it’s time to take this blueprint and make every city in the country a place where families can afford to raise their kids.”

Governor Hochul’s investment will:

• Deliver affordable child care for nearly 100,000 more kids
• Make Pre-K truly universal statewide by the 2028–29 school year
• Partner with New York City to launch the Mayor’s signature 2-Care program, offering free child care for two-year-olds and finally delivering on the promise of universal 3K
• Support counties across the state in launching innovative child care pilots that provide high-quality, affordable care regardless of income
• Expand child care subsidies to tens of thousands more families, while capping costs at $15 per week for most families

How Moms First Helped Make This Happen

Moms First bet on a different strategy to win child care in New York: treat child care like the economic priority it is and bring business to the center of the fight.

That work included: 

• Helping pass the Marshall Plan for Moms Taskforce in 2022 to chart a path to universal child care
• Working with Governor Hochul beginning in 2023 to lay the groundwork for large-scale investment
• Launching PaidLeave.AI in New York, with the Governor as a key partner, before expanding it nationally
• Mobilizing the National Business Coalition for Child Care, the only national network of employers advocating for child care, including New York companies like Etsy, Chobani, and Micron Technology
• Elevating child care as a top affordability issue during a pivotal mayoral election through relentless press and public pressure
• Activating tens of thousands of New York City moms to demand child care as a top voting issue
• Partnering with Kathy Wylde and the Partnership for New York to bring the state’s most powerful business voices into the conversation

Today’s announcement reflects years of groundwork, and demonstrates that when child care is treated as economic infrastructure, real progress follows.

About Moms First
Moms First is fighting for America’s moms. Our mission is to win paid leave and child care as economic imperatives that allow families to thrive. Our vision is a country that values motherhood and supports moms and families. Learn more at momsfirst.us.

1,000 Moms Join the Movement Behind Moms First’s Upcoming Documentary

December 15, 2025 (New York, NY) — In just two weeks since announcing their upcoming documentary on American motherhood, Moms First has already inspired over 1,000 moms from 43 states to become Associate Producers of the production, proof that audiences are hungry for a story that finally speaks to the real challenges of motherhood.

The film exposes how American moms have been intentionally divided, leaving them forced to choose between work and family while the system keeps them exhausted, distracted, and undervalued. Using expert interviews, archival footage, and firsthand stories, the documentary serves as a rallying call for structural change and solidarity among mothers nationwide.

“When we were filming, the thing moms kept telling me over and over was how judged they feel,” said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First and executive producer of the film. “Moms are tired of being blamed for choices they didn’t even make. This overwhelming response proves they’re ready for someone to tell the truth, and to finally push back.”

Produced by Emmy-nominated Culture House Media, Tan France’s French Tuck Media, and Moms First, the documentary gives moms three ways to join as Associate Producers: 

• Share their stories
• Make a donation
• Sign up to host a screening

The documentary premieres in Spring 2026 and will tour key cities across the U.S. With over 1,000 moms already signed on, Moms First is on track to set a Guinness World Record for the most Associate Producers ever credited in a film.

About Moms First

Moms First is fighting for America’s moms. Our mission is to win paid leave and child care as economic imperatives that allow families to thrive. Our vision is a country that values motherhood and supports moms and families. Learn more at momsfirst.us.

About Culture House Media

Culture House is an award-winning, Black- Brown and women-owned production company dedicated to inclusive storytelling that drives impact. Acclaimed projects include The Hair Tales (OWN/Hulu), Black Twitter (Hulu), Ladies First (Netflix), Growing Up (Disney+). Recipients of the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision award. 

Moms First to Release Historic Documentary on American Motherhood

From post-war propaganda to culture wars pitting “girl bosses” vs “trad wives”, the film reveals forces that have defined American motherhood and opportunities to come together across political division

Produced by Emmy-nominated Culture House Media, Tan France’s French Tuck Media and national non-profit organization Moms First. Directed by Raeshem Nijhon.

NEW YORK —  Moms First, the national non-profit organization founded by Reshma Saujani to fight for moms and policies like paid leave and affordable child care, today announced a historic feature documentary on American motherhood to premiere around Mother’s Day 2026. The film exposes the history and forces behind today’s most pervasive cultural myths – from girlboss hustle to the trad-wife revival – and seeks to reveal a path to uniting mothers across political division. Alongside the film, the non-profit will launch a nationwide impact campaign designed to tap into urgent cultural conversations about women and work and spark community and action among millions of moms, supporters, and families.

The film is produced  by Emmy-nominated Culture House Media, the production company behind critically acclaimed series like “The Hair Tales” and “Black Twitter” on Hulu and “Ladies First: A History of Women in Hip-hop” on Netflix. It’s produced in partnership with French Tuck Media, the production company founded by Queer Eye star Tan France and Moms First, the national non-profit organization using media to educate and mobilize millions of moms. Executive Producers include Reshma Saujani (Moms First, Girls Who Code), Tan France (Queer Eye, French Tuck Media), Donna MacLetchie (French Tuck Media), Nicole Galovski (Culture House), and Carri Twigg (Culture House).  Produced by Lauren Cynamon (Eater’s Guide to the World) and Ashley York (Hillbilly, Tig).

Blending investigative storytelling, historical context, and firsthand stories from mothers across the country, the film explores how motherhood became a cultural flashpoint. From postwar propaganda to today’s culture wars, it unpacks the economic policies, media myths, and social fault lines that have defined American motherhood and reveals opportunities for mothers to find common ground.

“For too long, we’ve told moms that if they just work harder, lean in more, or buy the right products, they can have it all,” said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First and executive producer of the film. “This documentary exposes the truth: the system was never built for mothers to thrive. We’re done pretending it’s an individual problem—it’s a national crisis.”

Ahead of the premiere, Moms First will launch a nationwide impact campaign to turn awareness into action, with community screenings, digital storytelling, and an unprecedented grassroots initiative inviting thousands of Americans to become Associate Producers by supporting the movement to rewrite the story of motherhood in America.

“This film belongs to every mother in America,” said Saujani. “We want moms everywhere—working moms, stay-at-home moms, single moms, church moms—to see themselves in it and to be part of the movement that changes what it means to be a mother in this country.”

Moms can join the movement by becoming an Associate Producer—sharing their story, pledging to host a screening, or contributing to help bring the film to communities nationwide. Moms First aims to set a new Guinness World Record for the most Associate Producers ever credited in a film.

Following its premiere, Moms First will take the film on a cross-country tour, with screenings hosted by community leaders and Associate Producers in towns, schools, churches, and theaters across the U.S., sparking local conversations and connecting culture to action.

“As a mom of two small boys, this is deeply personal for me,” said Director Raeshem Nijhon. “We need a systemic and cultural overhaul in how we honor and support motherhood in this country — and this film is my contribution to help make that change through pop culture. It’s a privilege to collaborate with Reshma and Moms First on a thoughtful, inclusive film and impact campaign that reminds audiences we are capable of big cultural shifts when we work together and resist the easy, all-too-prevalent culture of judgment and divisiveness.”

About Moms First

Moms First is fighting for America’s moms. Our mission is to win paid leave and child care as economic imperatives that allow families to thrive. Our vision is a country that values motherhood and supports moms and families. Learn more at momsfirst.us.

About Culture House Media

Culture House is an award-winning, Black- Brown and women-owned production company dedicated to inclusive storytelling that drives impact. Acclaimed projects include The Hair Tales (OWN/Hulu), Black Twitter (Hulu), Ladies First (Netflix), Growing Up (Disney+). Recipients of the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision award.

With mothers leaving the workforce and costs skyrocketing, Moms First Founder & CEO Reshma Saujani explains why the system is failing families—and how it can change.

November 3, 2025 (New York, NY) — Millions of American families are stretched to the breaking point by child care costs—and the conversation is finally shifting.  On Sunday, November 2, CBS Sunday Morning featured Reshma Saujani and Moms First, putting a national spotlight on the women who keep the country running and the system that is failing them. This year alone, 450,000 women left the workforce while nearly 400,000 men entered it. Mothers of young children are being forced out, again.

In an interview with Tracy Smith, Saujani explained the real-world impact on families: “Two-thirds of the caregiving work is often done by women. It’s moms who are having to make this choice. They’re downshifting their jobs, dropping out of the workforce entirely.” Beyond the workforce implications, families are feeling the financial squeeze. As Saujani explained, “We have lots of conversations about the cost of housing, about the cost of gas, about the cost of eggs. But when you look at a family’s budget and you say, what is the most expensive line item, the answer is child care.”

The stakes are high. Child care costs are higher than rent in all 50 states, rising nearly twice the rate of inflation, and 55% of parents go into debt just to afford it. Over half of American families live in child care deserts, leaving moms—and their families—without options. The CBS segment highlighted two families: one in Texas paying more for child care than their mortgage, and another in New Mexico thriving with real choices thanks to the state’s universal free child care program.

Moms First is leading the fight for affordable child care, bringing together business leaders, advocates, and policymakers to push for real solutions that work for families. The CBS Sunday Morning segment highlighted that this isn’t a partisan issue: Senators Katie Britt and Tim Kaine emphasized that supporting families is an economic priority America cannot afford to ignore.

The CBS Sunday Morning segment shines a light on a crisis that can no longer be ignored: child care is no longer just a family issue—it’s an economic emergency, and the stakes for America’s families, workforce, and economic security have never been higher.