Friend,

I’m lucky to have two jobs that inspire and motivate me every day — one as State Digital Director for NextGen Wisconsin and one as a mom of two. 

This Mother’s Day, Americans are surrounded by familiar, feel-good images. From moms joining impromptu dance parties, to cheering on the sidelines, to applying bandages to skinned knees, the implicit message is clear: we love celebrating our mothers. However, this rosy portrayal ignores the harsh reality of working families: navigating parenthood without access to paid family leave.

The U.S. is the only industrialized country with no national paid family leave. Tell your member of Congress that this is unacceptable. 

We are a nation that claims to value our families. Yet, when it comes to our policies, we fail to put our money where our mouth is. For many — particularly single parents, low-wage earners, and those caring for ill or disabled family members — lack of paid leave isn’t an inconvenience; it’s harmful in dire and lasting ways. 

Join us in demanding Congress take immediate action to secure comprehensive, equitable, and universal paid family leave for all families.

Moms need more than brunch and hollow platitudes this Mother’s Day. We need comprehensive, equitable, and universal paid family leave, and we need it now. 

Happy Mother’s Day,

Elizabeth Schroeder
State Digital Director
NextGen Wisconsin