In July 2023, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on the Parents Bill of Rights (H.R.5), a federal bill addressing parental rights in K–12 education. Drawing on mothers across regions and the political spectrum, the survey captured firsthand experience with public education and family decision-making. Mothers showed strong cross-partisan agreement on many core provisions of the bill — including the right to attend School Board meetings and parental consent for medical examinations — while expressing more varied views on specific implementation measures. The aggregated findings were shared with Congressional legislators to inform deliberations on policies affecting children and families.
Related themes:
Shared Priorities and Cross-Partisan Alignment Among Mothers
Broad cross-partisan participation: The survey included mothers from 44 states and across the political spectrum, providing a geographically and ideologically diverse perspective on the Parents Bill of Rights.
Strong alignment on parental participation: Mothers across political ideologies overwhelmingly agreed that parents should have the right to participate in School Board meetings.
Consensus on parental consent for medical care: Mothers strongly agreed that parental consent should be required before school employees conduct medical examinations or screenings of children, with timely notification in emergency situations.
Variation on implementation details: Mothers’ views diverged on four provisions of the bill, including the requirement for a curriculum and book review comment period every three weeks, indicating less consensus on certain operational aspects.
Value of lived experience: Mothers’ responses reflect their first-hand experiences navigating schools and highlight areas of agreement as well as complexity in how parental rights policies are implemented.
Source: Count on Mothers, Parents Bill of Rights, July 2023. Community panel survey of U.S. mothers, n=277. Research led by a PhD-credentialed researcher.
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Methodology Count on Mothers conducts nationally representative research with U.S. mothers, weighted to reflect the population and reported in aggregate. Research is led by a PhD + MPH team. Findings have informed policy, industry, and media, and entered the Congressional Record on childcare, paid leave, and technology policy.
