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Letter From

the CEO

Friends,

We typically measure impact with numbers. (Spoiler: You’ll get plenty of that in this report.) But when your work is actually breaking through, you should be able to see it.

Moms First broke through in a big way in 2024, and I don’t need a powerpoint of data to prove it.

It was on full display at our inaugural Moms First Summit, which convened leaders from across several industries — including genuine heroes of mine — to plant a flag with the idea that the issues that impact moms are broad, economic issues that deserve national attention.

With PaidLeave.AI, the world saw us lead by example — developing technology that helps parents and caregivers access the funds they’re entitled to under state programs. In the immediate aftermath of its launch, searches for “paid family leave” shot up, and tens of thousands used our tool in its first month alone. We just expanded the tool nationally and are reaching parents across the country.

When we published a landmark report on child care last spring, showing a huge ROI for businesses that offer child care benefits to their employees, you could almost feel the earth move. We have proof that this isn’t just about doing right by employees — it’s good for business, too. I know firsthand that this got the attention of C-suite executives.

Maybe most impressive, Moms First successfully put our issues in the spotlight in the middle of a presidential election. Before the first presidential debate, over 15,000 moms signed a petition calling on CNN to ask about the child care crisis. They did exactly that. And the ensuing headlines prompted follow-ups, which got the incoming administration on the record committing to fix the problem.

This report, front to back, is a demonstration that Moms First isn’t interested in simply reaching KPIs or checking arbitrary boxes. We are focused on doing what it takes to deliver tangible, meaningful change for moms — in our workplaces, in our laws, and in our culture as a whole.

Thanks to people like you, this movement is delivering results you can truly see. Let’s make sure breaking through in 2024 translates into breakthroughs for moms everywhere in the year ahead.

Believe it,

Reshma

The

Problem

For too long, our country has seen motherhood, child care, and paid leave as personal problems for women — not broad economic priorities that affect our ability to thrive. America’s families and economy pay the price.

50 states

Child care is now more expensive than rent in 50 states. 

2x

The cost of child care has risen at nearly 2x the rate of inflation. 

40%

40% of parents go into debt to pay for child care.

1 in 4

women return to work just two weeks after giving birth. 

$10K

Workers lose $10K in wages on average when they take unpaid leave — at a time when many Americans have less than $400 in savings.

$1 Trillion

Women are 20% more likely to stay in the labor force if they have access to paid leave, which could boost GDP by as much as $1 trillion.

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.

OUR STRATEGY IS TO:

Mobilize businesses

to expand workplace benefits and public policy while championing care as an economic imperative.

Lead with innovation

through new technology like PaidLeave.AI that reinvigorates the fight for paid leave and strengthens government implementation.

Build the broadest coalition

to fight for America’s moms and policies like paid leave and child care, through winnable campaigns and digital-first activations.

Shape the conversation

with thought leadership that elevates timely issues, changes media narratives, and shifts culture.

Our

Impact

6 BILLION+

impressions for our message

1.1 MILLION

supporters in our coalition

25%

increase in online searches for ”paid leave” after
the launch and expansion of PaidLeave.AI

600,000

employees impacted through the
National Business Coalition for Child Care

MobilizE

Business

200+

companies mobilized to drive change in workplace child care policies

600,000

employees now have access to new or expanded care benefits

425%

ROI proven for employers investing in child care solutions

Report Proves Big ROI for Companies Investing in Child Care

Our report with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), “Child care: The Employee Benefit That Pays for Itself,” proved definitively that investing in child care is smart business. The report demonstrated that employers like Etsy and UPS who invest in child care see a staggering ROI — 425%. The effort generated widespread media coverage, with stories in outlets like Inc., Fortune, and Fast Company. Following a report release event in D.C., we launched a new tool that enables businesses to measure their ROI for child care benefits. We’re now moving from research to action, partnering with leading businesses to implement profitable child care solutions.

Empowering CEOs to Become Champions of Child Care

Our National Business Coalition for Child Care (NBCC) has mobilized more than 200 companies – reaching more than 600,000 employees -to become champions for child care. Our efforts have amplified the voices of business leaders in reshaping how the private sector addresses the child care crisis, underscoring its role as both an economic and workforce imperative. Following the release of our groundbreaking report on the ROI of child care, we were invited to the White House to present our findings to the Council of Economic Advisors. This roundtable hosted a discussion with C-suite leaders from 12 major employers—including UPS, Morgan Stanley, TIAA, Deloitte, Chobani, Etsy, and others—preceded by a bipartisan luncheon with policymakers on Capitol Hill.

In partnership with the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Moms First helped to spotlight bold innovations in child care at the inaugural National Child Care Innovation Summit, where our very own Reshma Saujani delivered the keynote address.

Through these efforts, we are building the strongest movement of business leaders committed to advancing child care as a national economic priority.

Lead

Innovation

PaidLeave.AI Expands

Our wildly successful New York pilot of PaidLeave.ai (in partnership with OpenAI and Craig Newmark Philanthropies) demonstrated the potential of AI to reinvigorate the fight for paid leave and expand access to benefits. The pilot drove a 25% increase in national Google searches for “paid family leave” and the platform saw 25,000 visits in the first month. In 2024, we expanded Paidleave.ai nationally to all states with live paid family leave programs. We also streamlined the site to improve accessibility and expanded the tool to respond in 80 languages, ensuring we’re able to reach low and moderate income communities.  In the Fall, we launched our first awareness and advertising campaign, “Paid Leave Pays,” reaching moms where they are and driving paid leave uptake.

Moms First is using groundbreaking tools to put money back in the pockets of hardworking low- and moderate-income individuals in a way that helps to relieve stress. Our support for PaidLeave.AI is helping make paid leave more accessible and redefining how AI can be used to propel the delivery of economic benefits to working parents.
Kerone Vatel
Head of Community Impact & Investment
Capital One

8 million

Our September national expansion, we generated over 8 million impressions

20x

Since launching the site and reaching out directly to parents, we’ve seen Google searches for “paid family leave” increase 20x

45,000+

unique visitors to our platform in Q4 alone

Build the

Broadest Coalition

15,000

moms sign our petition to get child care on the debate stage

1.1 million

supporters in our coalition 

200

personal stories presented to the US Senate Finance Committee in July 2024 

The Motherhood Community Flexes Its Muscle

Our community of activist moms, “The Motherhood,” sprang into action this election year. In 30 states, moms asked candidates up and down the ballot to go on the record with their child care plans. Supporters used our toolkit to publish letters in outlets like The Baltimore Sun, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and The New York Times, calling on leaders to reimagine our workplaces, communities, and culture so they finally work for moms. When the Senate Finance Committee hosted a hearing on child care in July, we shared personal stories from 200 of our moms about how the crisis has altered their lives.

Moms Land Child Care on the Debate Stage

In a historic win, we mobilized 15,000 moms to demand that CNN bring up child care during the first presidential debate. As a result of our hand-delivered petition, debate moderator Jake Tapper asked Biden and Trump how they would tackle the crisis — sparking headlines in outlets like USA Today. Overnight, leaders across the country started talking about how to fix child care, and Google searches for “child care policy” spiked to the highest levels of the year. By the time the vice presidential debate rolled around in September, our issue was decisively on the map: Walz and Vance spent an astonishing eight minutes debating solutions.

It’s time for our leaders to answer moms across the country who are calling for affordable, accessible and quality child care. Our families, businesses, and our children’s future all depend on it. 
LISA GREY
Motherhood Supporter
Parents and caregivers are being asked to choose between basic needs or child care, affordable child care or quality child care, their livelihood or child care.
Jaime Colman
Motherhood Supporter

ShapE the

Conversation

The New Administration Commits to Child Care

During the 2024 presidential election, Moms First elevated child care as a top economic issue, and helped secure commitments to addressing the child care crisis from the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates from both major parties — a historic first. During an event at the Economic Club of New York in September, Reshma asked President Trump about child care — catapulting the issue into the headlines. Our advocacy prompted the Trump campaign to go on the record, with J.D. Vance saying “We’re going to have to spend more money.” Similarly, the Harris campaign rolled out a policy platform calling for major investments in child care.

Summit Brings Together Powerful Moms and Allies

Three hundred and fifty of the most influential moms and allies in the world — including Hillary Clinton, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Emily Oster, Tarana Burke, Governors Kathy Hochul and Gretchen Whitmer, Elaine Welteroth, and Katie Couric — came to New York for our inaugural Moms First Summit in May. They shared stories and championed solutions, all while nurturing a collective identity for moms; one that is not about our kids, but about us. Media coverage of the live-streamed event reached more than 561 million people around the world, with features in culture-shaping outlets like InStyle, People, and Forbes.

Celebrities Call for More Realistic TV Depictions

We partnered with the Geena Davis Institute and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and The Archewell Foundation to get people talking about how Hollywood shapes our cultural expectations of moms. Our report, “Rewriting Motherhood: How TV Represents Moms and What We Want to See Next” details how unrealistic media portrayals fuel gender imbalances and feed mom guilt.

MOMS FIRST

IN THE MEDIA

InStyle
The Hardship and Hope of Being a Mom in America Right Now
The New York Times
How Much Progress Have Women Made at Work?
Ms.
How Care Became a Key Issue This Election
CNN
Don't underestimate moms ahead of the 2024 election
MSNBC
Can Al actually help parents? These moms say absolutely
Fortune
15,000 moms signed a petition demanding that CNN ask Trump and Biden about the child care crisis during the debate.
USA Today
Child care costs widened the pay gap. Women in their 30s are taking the hit
USA Today
This Al chatbot can help you get paid family leave in 9 states. Here's how.
Forbes
Moms First Launches The Motherhood On The Heels Of Its Inaugural Summit

Our Partners

Our Partners

The Adecco Group US Foundation
Anderson Foundation
The Anvi Group Charitable Foundation
Bobbie
The Burke Foundation
Capital One
Craig Newmark Philanthropies
Cocoon
Dan Kusnetz
The Elevate Prize Foundation
Every Page Foundation
Gretchen Sisson
Henderson Family Foundation
Hire Talent
John and Laura Broderick Family Foundation
Kate Spade New York
LinkedIn
LVMH
Lyft

Michael Rubenstein
Morgan Stanley
Panorama Global
The Perkins Fund
Pivotal Ventures
P-Squared Philanthropy
PwC
The Robin Hood Foundation
Romita Shetty
Rovere O’Kelley Family Fund
Schulte Roth & Zabel
Share Our Strength
Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation
Synchrony
The UPS Foundation
Walton Family Foundation
Willow Tree Fund
Visionary Women Foundation
Vivo Foundation

Working families need caregiving support to do their best work—and as Moms First shows us, it’s in a company’s best interest to answer this call to action. Their groundbreaking research proves that companies that provide child care benefits see a major return on investment and are more likely to attract and retain top talent. Pivotal is proud to support Moms First as they continue to demonstrate
 that a caring economy is a
 competitive one.
BROOKE ANDERSON
President, Pivotal Ventures 
PaidLeave.AI is a great model for AI for customer service, not only for public service, but everywhere regular people need a hand. Moms First is a serious leader in AI for good, and I’m really happy to support their efforts.
CRAIG NEWMARK
Founder, craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies
UPS is proud to have partnered with Moms First in 2024 to challenge the status quo with meaningful discourse around child care — one of the most critical issues employees face today. Together, we’ve created a platform for action and positive change and look forward to continuing this important work to empower families across the country.
Danelle McCusker Rees
Head of Global Talent & Learning, UPS
Representation doesn’t just matter for children — we are all impacted by how we are reflected in popular culture. Moms deserve to see authentic and validating portrayals of motherhood on screen.
Geena Davis
Founder and Chair, Geena Davis Institute
At the Adecco Group US Foundation, we believe in making the future work for everyone. Partnering with Moms First, we have made impactful changes for workers by creating resource groups for working parents, piloting new technology that connects workers to government funding for child care, and raising awareness on the importance of paid leave and child care benefits. Our joint initiatives demonstrate that supporting parents isn’t just good policy — it’s good business.
Laine Gandy
Director, The Adecco Group US Foundation
The Moms First Summit was long overdue. Every panel centered the labor and contributions of mothers in our nation and the world. I’m proud to be on the Board of an organization that’s changing policies and the conversation for working families.
Tiffany Dufu
President, The Tory Burch Foundation & Moms First board Member 
I’m delighted to have been able to contribute to Moms First in 2024. They are leading in this space and, most importantly, leading with a clear focus. Keeping their eyes on child care, parental leave and making the system work for moms and families has enabled Mom’s First to bring together an extraordinary coalition. I cannot wait to see what happens in 2025. 
Emily Oster
CEO, ParentData
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