Beyond Flowers: An Urgent Call for Lawmakers to Better Support Struggling Mothers Nationwide
- Jeanette Salguero
- May 16
- 3 min read
Mother’s Day is a time to value our mothers and mother figures. We buy flowers, send cards, and celebrate the ways they have cared for us.
And that is truly good and worthy.
But appreciation without action can ring hollow — and this year, I want to be honest about the gap between what we say about mothers and what we’re willing to do for them.
Throughout Orlando, I talk to mothers and women caring for others constantly, women of deep faith, fierce love, and extraordinary resilience. What I hear from them is consistent. They’re concerned about the grocery bill that has climbed so high they’re doing math in the aisle before they put something in the cart. It’s the doctor’s appointment they’ve been putting off because they’re not sure they can cover it. It’s the childcare waitlist that’s so long it’s almost a joke, except it’s not funny when you need to work and have no one to watch your child. These women are not asking for much. They are asking for a fair shot.
What strikes me is that these aren’t the concerns of one community or one corner of the country. They are the concerns of mothers everywhere. And now we have the data to prove it.
A new national poll from Family Compassion confirms what I hear every day. A majority of Christian voters — 54% — say their household expenses are less affordable than they were a year ago. The costs driving that strain are ones every mother will recognize, including groceries (cited by 80%), utilities (74%), healthcare (69%), and insurance (65%). These aren’t luxuries. These are the basic inputs for a stable family life, and they are becoming harder to afford each month.
At the National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NALEC), our advocacy is rooted in Scripture and in the conviction that policy is a moral issue. Proverbs 31:8-9 call us to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Psalm 127:3 reminds us that children are a heritage from the Lord. We do not read those verses as poetry alone — we read them as a charge.
Caring for families, reducing poverty, and expanding economic opportunity are not political positions for us. They are expressions of our faith.
That is why the findings of this poll matter so much. Christian voters are not confused about what they need from their lawmakers. They are clear. Large majorities say it is important for Congress to fund or restore programs that help families stay afloat, such as Medicaid, the Earned Income Tax Credit, SNAP, the Child Tax Credit, and paid leave policies. These are not fringe priorities. They are broadly held, deeply felt, and directly connected to whether a mother can feed her children, keep the lights on, and go to work without sacrificing her family’s wellbeing to do it.
And Christian voters are watching. More than half say they would be less likely to support a member of Congress who voted to cut child tax credits, childcare funding, or work support programs. That is not a threat — it is a statement of values. People of faith believe in a government that reflects God’s call to care for the vulnerable and create conditions where every family can flourish.
Jeremiah 29:11 speaks of plans for welfare and not for evil, for a future and a hope. That is the vision we are working toward at NALEC — not just spiritually, but legislatively. We strive for a future where a mother doesn’t have to choose between groceries and a utility bill. Where a child’s health isn’t contingent on their family’s ZIP code or income. Where paid leave means that welcoming a new baby doesn’t also mean financial ruin.
We have given the flowers. We have made the brunch reservations. Now it is time to give the mothers in our communities something that actually lasts — lawmakers who show up for them when the cameras are off, and the votes are called.
Coming out of Mother’s Day, I am asking every person of faith, every community leader, and every elected official to look at what mothers in this country are carrying — and to ask whether we are doing everything we can to lighten that load. The answer, right now, is no. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
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Rev. Jeanette Salguero is pastor at The Gathering Place church in Orlando and executive vice president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition.
