Hawaii would become the 33rd state to allow campaign donations to be used for child care, offering mothers an avenue for political participation and enabling more women to drive policies that address maternal health disparities. However, the bill did not survive the 2024 Legislature.

This significant change, driven by Jeanne Y. Ohta’s request to the Hawaii State Campaign Spending Commission, addresses candidates’ fears of fines and public backlash over child care expenses.

Recently, at a Wild Mama Voices event on Oahu, Summer-Lee Yadao shared her journey from growing up houseless to her advocacy for affordable housing. As she spoke to us after the event, she caressed her daughter’s hair.

Summer, a candidate for House of Representatives District 42, stands as a hopeful beneficiary of the new ability to use campaign funds for child care.

“I’m not sure I’ll need child care but it does bring some relief knowing that I have that option,” she said.

Relief. That’s all parents really want. Relief means options, and options mean the freedom to reach your fullest potential.

Nurturing Wahine Fund has published a report on our website detailing the ranking of Hawaii’s average annual price of full-time child care among all 50 states and the District of Columbia:

• Hawaii’s child care costs are among the highest in the United States;
• Hawaii has the second-highest costs for center-based infant care at $20,647; and
• Hawaii has the second-highest costs for center-based toddler care at $17,432.

This data is even more troubling given that Hawaii is still recovering from a major disaster that left thousands without homes, let alone access to affordable child care.

The challenge of caring for children often sparks what Nurturing Wahine Fund defines as “tick-tock mom-mentum:” mothers feeling really driven to accomplish goals but hindered by our lack of time.

Despite brimming with new solutions for maternal health, it’s a sober realization that child care responsibilities cause limitations on what we can accomplish. To effectively tackle the systemic issues underlying maternal health disparities, more politicians are needed who understand the unique experiences of mothers firsthand.

But with elections approaching, the call for more mom representation in politics continues to face a major barrier: 17 states still don’t allow parents to use campaign funds for child care support.

Candidates running for federal office are allowed to use campaign funds on child care expenses, but this allowance is not extended to state and local candidates. Fortunately, Hawaii is no longer among those states.

When a candidate gives up their full-time job to pursue public office, they can use the money they raise to buy lawn signs, television ads, new suits, a personal driver or even a catering company to provide food for an event.

However, until just recently, the campaign funds in Hawaii could not be used to hire a babysitter to care for their children while they attend these events. This raised significant concerns regarding the hurdle it created for mothers, who may have been deterred from running for office due to the lack of child care support.

In fact, according to a 2022 report from Vote Mama Foundation, only 12 women serving in state legislatures in the country gave birth that year. The underrepresentation of mothers in politics leads to a limited understanding among lawmakers about the impact of legislation that could save lives.

Advocacy For Mothers

Vote Mama Foundation, the leading source of research on the political participation of mothers, advocates for legislation to account for caregiving expenses directly related to campaign activity. They’re the only organization working to expand and codify CFCC in all 50 states.

Earlier this year, Vote Mama Foundation released “Campaign Funds for Childcare: A Data-Driven Report on a Structural Solution for Caregiving Candidates,” revealing that since 2018, the majority of federal funds were spent by women, with 70% of funds at the state and local level spent by candidates of color.

Running for political office as a mother, supported by child care provisions in campaign funds, can serve as an inspiration to other mothers who may have considered entering politics but felt deterred by child care roadblocks. When women see themselves represented by a mom with young kids, it paves the way for more diverse and inclusive representation in politics.

Although I’m not running for office yet, I’m excited about campaign funds being available for child care because I want more people in politics who can better empathize with the challenges I faced as a new mom. I balanced my career and parenting, often bringing my 1-year old to meetings, including law offices and my presentations, where he would run on stage.

It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and there were few women in powerful roles here to empathize with me. One female OB-GYN in Honolulu even dismissed my health concerns, telling me I “wasn’t a good fit” without asking any medical questions or conducting an exam. I had spent the entire morning trying to secure child care just to make it to my appointment.

When mothers can directly participate in shaping policies and allocating resources, then maternal health disparities can be actively addressed, ultimately reducing the high postpartum mortality rate for Indigenous and Black women.