Every Child Matters in Iowa and MomsRising encourage Iowans to engage in local conversations about important issues facing children and families
Des Moines, Iowa - Every Child Matters (ECM) in Iowa and MomsRising today announced a partnership to engage Iowans in addressing the critical issues affecting children and families.
The two organizations are encouraging Iowans to come together at House Parties and discuss a range of policies that would help our families and our economy thrive, including: access to high-quality, affordable childcare; paid family medical leave and earned sick leave; health insurance; and early education for all Iowans.
"We've noticed that the political momentum is shifting, centering around the needs of children, mothers and families," said Brian Ahlberg, President of Every Child Matters. MomsRising and ECM are providing resources to voters through our House Party Toolkit. The Toolkit will encourage candid conversations about the issues and help participants create a plan of action."
In Iowa, the reality for children and families is startling:
? More than 75 percent of Iowa children live in a home where all available parents work outside the home.
? In just under one-half of families, mothers are the sole or primary breadwinners.
? About 71 percent of Iowa families with children under the age of 18 count a mother's earnings as a significant portion of the family income.
? Providing high-quality childcare for an infant in center-based environment costs more than tuition at a public university.
"It's painfully obvious that today's workplace policies fail to meet the needs of working families and businesses in our nation. It's time for our nation's leaders to get moving on win-win policies that studies show boost our families, our businesses, and our economy." said MomsRising Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. "We want to take advantage of Iowa's first in the nation status to highlight and frame these issues for voters and really encourage everyone to take action and advocate."
People interested in hosting a house party can download the Every Child Matters and MomsRising Toolkit through either organization's web site. Information includes:
? Time line to prepare for the party
? Time line to manage the party;
? Resources to understand the issues impacting children, mothers and families;
? Sample invitation language;
? "How To" for social media presence; and
? Candidate contact information.
Every Child Matters in Iowa is a 501(c) 3 non-profit, non-partisan organization whose goal in Iowa and nationwide is to make children and youth a top political priority. Follow us on Twitter @ECMIowa.
MomsRising.org is an online and on-the-ground grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to achieve economic security for all families in the United States. MomsRising is working for paid family leave, flexible work options, affordable childcare, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes so many others. MomsRising also advocates for better childhood nutrition, health care for all, toxic-free environments, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America's families. In 2013, Forbes.com named MomsRising's web site as one of the Top 100 Websites For Women for the fourth year in a row and Working Mother magazine included MomsRising on its "Best of the Net"list. MomsRising also maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org.
