As we enter a New Year, Mother’s Outreach Network (MON) is well positioned to further advance our mission to keep low-income families whole, stable, and economically secure. Through MON’s advocacy, legal work, and organizing accomplishments MON advances the inclusion and empowerment of mothers, primarily Black mothers, in the struggle for family preservation by transforming government income and child welfare laws, policies, practices, and culture from punitive to empowering. MON’s legal programming and work gained mention in the Washington Post
Our hearts overflow with gratitude for your generosity, which has afforded MON the financial and in-kind support to conduct our accomplishments. In 2024, alongside allies, MON championed the:
passage of the first local District Child Tax Credit into law,
launch of two ground breaking guaranteed income pilots: our privately funded research-based guaranteed income pilot for mothers with children who are child welfare system-involved, and launch of the first 2Generation guaranteed income pilot, and
placing a spotlight on the issues of birth justice for marginalized mothers.
Looking forward to 2025, MON will continue our stand with mothers who live at the margins of our society, working hard to protect and to preserve their families. Whether a new follower of our work or a long-time champion, your role is vital to our success. Thank you!
MON is prepared to face the new challenges that 2025 presents because of the shifting political landscape. But we have a solid foundation to work from because of our 2024 accomplishments.
Strengthening DC’s First Child Tax Credit Program
As the lead partner of the DC Guaranteed Income Coalition, Mother’s Outreach Network worked to draft the original legislation for what has become the city’s first District Child Tax Credit.
2025 Action:
The fully refundable program is an historic building block for which the Coalition will continue to fight to fund and expand to cover children up to 18 years of age.
Establishing Guaranteed Income Pilots as Purveyors of Systems Transformation
In October at a live-streamed panel event, MON exclusively shared early lessons from the pioneering Mother Up Guaranteed Income Research Pilot conducted for MON by the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School. This is our ongoing pilot program that provides monthly direct cash assistance to Black mothers in Washington D.C. currently or recently involved with CFSA and in danger of being separated from their children. MON also created, launched and operated a short-term 2Gen guaranteed income pilot. Weekly payments were provided to mothers and students at a DC middle school.
2025 Action:
MON’s initial one-year Mother Up pilot research project investigates the hypothesis that poverty is a primary cause of the problems that trigger the involvement of D.C.’s Child and Family Services Agency (“CFSA”); in 2025, the Mother Up project will recruit 15 additional direct cash participants, expand to a three year initiative, and continue to share MON’s methodology, philosophy, and lessons with audiences across the country. These include academia, the legal profession, and advocacy communities. Both the Mother Up pilot and the 2Gen pilot have inspired broad interest. Each is pioneering the use of a direct cash pilot to address structural systemic inequalities and harm.
Mother’s Outreach Network seeded the 2Gen Guaranteed Income pilot and will continue to support and advise the expansion and extension of the pilot, which the Social Justice School will helm.
Ending Family Regulations and Practices That Harm Marginalized Mothers
Mother’s Outreach Network has successfully spotlighted the structural harms of child welfare family laws, regulations, and practices.
2025 Action:
This year, the legal work of Mother’s Outreach Network expanded to highlight a representative story of a mother and her family living at the margins of economic security. Their impoverishment was exacerbated by harmful birth regulations. Established this year by MON, the End Poverty, Preserve Families Coalition will continue and deepen its research and legislative efforts to end policies that harm rather than uplift marginalized families, including in the area of Child Protectives Services investigations.
In Solidarity
Melody (she, her, hers)
Melody R. Webb, Esq.
Founder and Executive Director
Mother’s Outreach Network / Guaranteed Income Coalition
Moms Empower Annual Summit
At our 2024 Moms Empower Annual Summit, Mother’s Outreach Network program participants gathered at a local DC public library for food and fellowship. They celebrated the passage of the District Child Tax Credit. They also hammered out their policy demands for the 2025 agenda of Mother’s Outreach Network. DC Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker spoke to the mothers, who shared their excitement for the new tax credit, as well as their concerns and policy priorities for our families and communities!
Legal Program Birth Justice Work
Advocacy Day 2024: Celebrating the Historic District Child Tax Credit!
Mother Up Research Pilot Event
We exclusively shared early lessons from the pioneering Mother Up
