Mission

The mission of Mom Congress is to empower mothers and those who support them to address the most critical policy issues impacting the health & well-being of U.S. mothers.

Vision

Our vision is a future where U.S. mothers from all communities are supported by government policy during pregnancy, birth, and early parenting so they may thrive and raise happy and healthy children.

Our How

We are a membership organization.
We are focused on Federal policy because we believe all mothers deserve the same support regardless of their state.
We believe policy addressing our focus areas must be bi-partisan, and neither Democrats nor Republicans should lead such policy independently; policy addressing our focus areas matters to mothers and families across the political spectrum.
We endorse, through our Mom's Agenda, meaningful legislation that is substatively bi-partisan, and we are particularly fond of legislation we help develop, and that is introduced by a Republican and Democrat.
We partner with other national non-profits to support them in advancing their Mom's Agenda legislation.
We train and empower our members to become powerful advocates and build community, with the aim of advancing the Mom's Agenda.

The History

After bringing mothers to Capitol Hill in 2017 and 2018 to pass critical maternal mental health legislation through the National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health, Joy Burkhard, the executive director of the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health (then 2020 Mom), saw an opportunity to coordinate with other non-profit organizations on multiple issues facing mothers. In late 2018, 2020 Mom rebranded and trademarked the annual advocacy conference and Capitol Hill event as Mom Congress.

In 2020, based on feedback from mothers who wanted to identify with the Mom Congress brand after an incredible 2019 conference, a membership option was created.

Also, in 2019, the first bill package of legislation endorsed by Mom Congress was created (then referred to as the Momnibus and later renamed the Mom’s Agenda). Since then, the bills have grown in number, with a focus on endorsing not only meaningful bills but also bills introduced as bipartisan (with a Republican and Democrat as sponsors). This became a defining strategy for the Policy Center’s success in helping to pass bills such as the Pregnant Worker’s Fairness Act.

In Aug. 2024, with support from the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, Mom Congress began operating as an independent non-profit organization incorporated in Washington, D.C.