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.
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In February 2024, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on the House Bipartisan Paid Leave Working Group's federal Paid Family Leave Framework. Drawing on a nationally representative sample of mothers across regions and the political spectrum, the survey captured firsthand perspectives on each pillar of the framework: a federal pilot program, state program standardization, small business pooling plans, expanded paid leave tax credits, and a national paid leave guarantee. Mothers showed strong cross-partisan support for every provision in the framework — with majority agreement across every ideological group on all five components.
Mothers' Views on the Secure the Border Act (S.2824)
In January 2024, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on the Secure the Border Act (S.2824), federal legislation addressing border security, asylum procedures, and immigration enforcement. Drawing on a nationally representative sample of mothers across regions and the political spectrum, the survey captured firsthand perspectives on the bill's security measures, technology investments, and provisions affecting children. Mothers expressed mixed overall views on the legislation, with strong support for specific security and technology provisions and more divided opinion on enforcement provisions, alongside clear ideological patterns in how mothers approached the bill's components.
In December 2023–January 2024, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on the GOSAFE Act (S.3369), federal legislation regulating gas-operated semi-automatic firearms. Combining a national survey of mothers across regions and the political spectrum with in-depth interviews, the study captured perspectives on fixed-capacity restrictions, federal manufacturing regulation, conversion device bans, and a voluntary buy-back program. Mothers identified gun violence as a serious crisis affecting children and families — with broad support for the bill among liberal and moderate mothers, more divided views among conservative mothers, and differing emphases on solutions.
Mothers’ Views on the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA)
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