Parenting and Politics

Earlier this week, the people of Kansas went out to the polls and had their voice heard… coming out in record numbers to say they want abortion rights protected in the state constitution. In this episode, Diana chats with Josh Siebenaler, organizer with the Kansas Abortion Fund.

They discuss what organizing for abortion rights looks like in traditionally red-state like Kansas, what other states are having abortion rights in ballot measures this coming year, and why abortion rights is one of the top issues of the midterms.

Josh has excellent advice for those looking to get invovled in abortion rights activism, and shares with us a list of local Kansas-based businesses that support the Kansas Abortion Fund.

Make sure to listen and share this timely and passionate conversation filled with great insights on how you can advocate for abortion rights.

Make sure to follow @kansasabortionfund on Instagram.

If you liked this episode, check out:

Ep. 48 "What Happens When you Deny Women Abortions" with Dr. Diana Foster .

Ep. 50: God Abortions and Kids with Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft

Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, recommend the podcast to your friends and follow us on IG: @parentingandpolitics You can also ideas for guests at [email protected]

In this episode, recorded a day after the Uvalde mass shooting where elementary school children and teachers were murdered, Diana talks to Sarah Montoya, a joyful motherhood coach and mom in San Francisco.

They discuss why parenting IS political, how politics affects every part of our children's lives and why we must be engaged and pay attention to what elected leaders are doing-or not doing.

They join to process the awful reality that our children have become casualties in a world where elected leaders answer to the NRA and not to their constituents.

They are angry and to make a plea to parents to get involved, to hold elected leaders accountable-- to vote out the ones that don't support and protect families.

You can follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahromontoya

If you like this episode, make sure to check out Ep. 50: God, Abortions and Kids with Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft.

Make sure to leave a review and share the podcast with your friends- and follow on Instagram, @parentingandpolitics

In this episode, Diana talks to Dr. Dana Suskind, the author of Parent Nation, Unlocking Evey Child's Potential, Fulfilling Society's Promise

Dr. Suskind is a pediatric neurosurgeon who decided to use her experience working with children and families and brain research to write a book about what families need and how a society can help families thrive through policy.

They discuss:

• What is happening in a baby's brain in the early years?
• What is the Return on investment of investing in children in the early years?
• How do we get the lawmakers to use the science to inform policy?
• Why Parents and Caregivers should join together as a voting bloc

AND MORE!

Make sure to follow Parent Nation on Instagram @buildaparentnation and Dr. Suskind on Twitter @drdanasuskind and Instagram @drdanasuskind

We are kicking off Season 2 with Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft from Raising Imagination and we're chatting about abortion rights, how we can talk to our kids about what is happening-- and where does God and faith fit into all this, as parents who are committed to raising empathetic, respectful citizens of the world. Amanda shares what her Christian faith teaches her about abortion and how we can talk to our kids about difficult topics. She invites us to TAKE action by: 1. Participate in rallies #BansoffourBodies (happening tomorrow May 14th and 2. Donate to independent clinics. 3. Educate yourself on abortion pills. REMEMBER! As of this recording, abortions are still legal! You can follow Amanda at @RaisingImagination on Instagram. Don't forget to share this episode with your friends and check out our other conversations with Amanda: Women, Religion and Politics and Merry and Political: Baby Jesus, Consumerism and Gifts.

As we're getting close to the second anniversary of the pandemic, we wanted to talk about how parents and children are feeling-- what's normal? What isn't? How should parents be coping with (what feels like) incessant changes to every day life. Diana talks to Lina Acosta Sandaal, a parenting and child development expert, about what is considered normal for the times we are living in, and what to look out for in ourselves and in our kids. We also discuss when we should seek professional help.

***Please seek professional help if you have thoughts about harming yourself. You can contact the Suicide Prevention LifeLine: 1-800-273-TALK

You can follow Lina on Instagram: @stopparentingalone and @parentingexpert

What happens when a woman is denied an abortion? That's exactly what Dr. Foster set out to find out in the groundbreaking Turnaway Study. which followed two sets of women for five years: one who had access to a wanted abortion, and a group who was denied.

In this very timely discussion on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Dr. Foster shares her findings about what the physical, financial, emotional impacts of women how are denied abortions are and what real implications denying abortions can have to families across the country.

In this episode Diana talks to Julie Kashen, Director of Economic Justice at the Century Foundation, about the family friendly policies that parents need and why these policies shouldn't be looked at separately, but why we need them together.

We discuss why this is a historic moment to finally get the family friendly Policies families in the USA need now: paid leave, the child tax credit, affordable child care and universal pre-k past the finish line and signed into law.

Listen to find out what's happening in Congress and why we must make all these investments now.

You can follow Julie on Twitter: @juliekashen

and The Century Foundation: @tcfdotorg

In this episode, Diana is talking to Nina Perez, the National Director of Early Childhood at MomsRising.org about why this is the moment to make a comprehensive, high-quality child care and pre-k system for families a reality.

Nina is an expert in child care advocacy and in this episode she discusses how we *almost* got to universal child care under the Nixon administration, what the current legislation looks like, why it is important that parents share their stories, and what parents can do to push elected officials to support policies that benefit children and families.

Listen to find out why child care is a public good, and what YOU can do! Find out why investing in child care makes sense for our families, communities and our society-- and why the time to make child care a reality is now.

Find out what parents can do to help #SolveChildcare NOW!

Make sure to follow @MomsRising on Instagram

In this episode Diana talks to Katie Hamm, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development, at the Office of Early Childhood Development in the Biden Administration.

Diana and Katie discuss: - The Child Tax Credit and making it permanent - How the AFP will help families with a 0-5 childcare plan - a federally funded universal 3K and UPK. - "How are we going to pay for all this?"

AND MORE!

For more information on the American Families Plan visit whitehouse.gov/americanfamiliesplan

"Education funding should be non-negotiable... We are already not getting what we deserve-- how can we possibly cut any more? It's such an injustice."

In this episode, Diana talks to Evie Hantzopoulos, a mom, educator and community leader who is running for NYC Council in District 22, in Queens, NYC.

They discuss all things public school education:

• reimagining schools to serve the whole child
• getting police out of schools
• school budgets
• restorative justice practices
• community schools
• what can City Council do to improve schools (and what can't it do?
• Why does NYS owe NYC billions of $$$ for education

AND MORE!

Listen to this episode to find out why local politics is important, why parents need to harness their political power and learn more about Evie's 20+ years of experience as an educator and community leader... proof of why we need more moms in office.