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.

Moms First Launches New Campaign “Child Care First NYC” To Challenge Mayoral Hopefuls to Prioritize Child Care

New York City loses $23 billion per year due to lack of child care—more than the MTA’s annual budget

September 9, 2025 (New York, NY) — Moms First, the national non-profit organization fighting for America’s moms and policies like affordable child care and paid leave, today announced the launch of Child Care First NYC, a new campaign putting child care at the center of the 2025 New York City mayoral race and the city’s affordability agenda. The campaign will call on all mayoral candidates to commit to investments in child care in their first 100 days in office.

“If you can’t afford child care in New York City, you can’t afford to live here—and that’s a problem every New Yorker should care about,” said Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Moms First. “This isn’t just a parent issue. It’s a city issue. Every neighborhood, every business, every voter feels it. New Yorkers are tired of promises—we need to see real plans and real investment in child care.”

To launch the campaign, Moms First premiered a video starring Reshma Saujani live on Instagram today. In the video, Saujani calls out the city’s child care crisis and challenges mayoral candidates to show New Yorkers their solutions. Her direct address positions her as a key voice in the mayoral conversation, offering a perspective that demands attention.

The campaign, already featured in The New York Times ahead of its official launch, will run through the general election and includes:

• The Put Child Care First Petition calling on mayoral candidates to prioritize child care investments in their first 100 days. This grassroots effort gives New Yorkers a direct way to demand solutions that ease the crushing cost of care and protect the city’s economic future.
• Engagement with the city’s business leaders as champions of child care as a workforce imperative through events co-hosted with local business partners, building on Moms First’s National Business Coalition for Child Care
• Collaborations with partners like the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center at NYU Law  to ensure child care tops the city’s affordability agenda

New York City has become unaffordable for working families and their biggest expense is child care. Families spend up to $40,000 a year on child care — more than rent and in-state college tuition — and more than half go into debt to pay for child care. At the same time, many child care workers — disproportionately women and women of color — earn poverty wages and 7 out of 10 kids live in neighborhoods with insufficient child care options.

This adds up to an economic crisis for the city. Families with young children are twice as likely to leave NYC as those without. The city loses $23 billion per year in lost productivity and tax revenue due to lack of child care, more than the MTA’s annual budget.

“Call me crazy, but I think New Yorkers should be able to afford raising kids in New York,” continued Saujani. “Our message to the next mayor is simple: if you want to lead on affordability, you need to put child care first.”

Child Care First NYC builds on Moms First’s national track record of making child care impossible to ignore. In 2024, Moms First made child care a centerpiece of the election, mobilizing 15,000 supporters to demand CNN include it in the first presidential debate. This year, Moms First declared child care an economic issue in its call for Congress and the Trump administration to prioritize it in the new tax bill, a push that helped secure the first new federal investments in decades.

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.

MEDIA NOTE:

Interviews with Reshma Saujani and local moms are available upon request. The campaign launch video is live on Instagram, and we can provide the video file to press for coverage.

The Future of Fatherhood Summit Makes History: Tens of Thousands Come Together to Reimagine Modern Masculinity, Paid Leave, and Gender Equity

Hosted by Moms First and Equimundo, the Summit Drew National Attention—and Launched a New Campaign to Close the Fatherhood Leave Gap

Tune into the full live stream at momsfirst.us/fatherhood

Download event images here

Photo credits: Jessica Bal

NEW YORK, NY — On June 5, 2025, Moms First and Equimundo convened the inaugural Future of Fatherhood Summit at The Times Center in New York City. The sold-out event brought together cultural icons, researchers, business leaders, and policymakers to reimagine modern fatherhood in America—and spotlight real solutions to one of today’s most urgent and overlooked challenges: disconnection.

The summit welcomed over 300 guests in person and tens of thousands of virtual viewers across the U.S. The event featured dynamic, solutions-oriented conversations on topics ranging from paid leave and workplace policy to boys’ mental health, caregiving stigma, and the future of masculinity.

Featured Panels included:

• [12:28] – Opening Remarks from Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Moms First and Founder of Girls Who Code
• [20:25] – The Challenges of Modern Boyhood with Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, on tech’s impact on modern boyhood
• [42:06] – Redefining Masculinity in 2025 with Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia, on Gen Z and internet culture in 2025
• [2:58:31] – Making Workplaces Work for Dads with Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, on caregiving as a leadership imperative
• [3:34:46] – Raising Boys and Ourselves with Dr. Becky Kennedy, psychologist and founder of Good Inside, on fostering emotionally healthy boys

One of the major announcements at the summit was the launch of a new national campaign by Moms First to close the fatherhood leave gap, powered by PaidLeave.AI. Building on groundbreaking research with McKinsey, which revealed nearly 90% of Dads are eligible for their state’s paid parental leave but only 25% take it, Moms First partnered with Blue Rose Research to understand what actually motivates eligible fathers to take time off. The findings were clear: the most persuasive messages centered around connection—bonding with their child, supporting their partner’s recovery, and modeling care for the next generation.

The campaign will launch in New York, California, New Jersey, and Colorado, meeting dads where they are—on search and social platforms—and guiding them through the benefits they qualify for with PaidLeave.AI, an AI-powered tool designed to simplify the paid leave process. It will run in tandem with the ongoing campaign for moms, which has already engaged 100,000 parents, or nearly 1 in 5 eligible parents who haven’t utilized parental leave in those states.

“This summit was about more than just fatherhood—it was about connection,” said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First. “This is the beginning of a new model of dads and moms working together to transform our systems, so that every family can truly thrive. And we’re starting with a campaign aimed at getting more dads to claim the paid leave benefits they deserve.”

The Future of Fatherhood Summit was made possible by the generous support of Equimundo, Walton Family Foundation, The Adecco Group US Foundation, Sparrow, Progyny, MAKERS by Yahoo, and Bobbie for Change.

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About Moms First
Moms First is a national nonprofit transforming workplaces, communities, and culture to enable moms—and all caregivers—to thrive. With a grassroots movement of over one million moms and supporters, Moms First advocates for paid leave, affordable child care, and equal pay. www.momsfirst.us

About Equimundo
Equimundo works globally to promote gender equality and social justice by engaging men and boys as partners in advancing care, equity, and wellbeing for all. www.equimundo.org

For press inquiries, contact: brittany@momsfirst.us.