&Mother’s “Bring the Babies” Changemaker Grants Help Children Accompany their Olympic-bound Moms to the Summer Games
&Mother teams up with Bobbie, CLIF BAR, and other generous donors to fund grants that offset family travel expenses for Olympic athletes headed to Paris
The 2024 Olympic Games will be heralded as the most gender-equal Games of all time; it will also be the first Games to see a historic number of athlete mothers and parents, a direct result of &Mother’s advocacy work to advance policies, education, and healthcare for professional athletes that become mothers.
The International Olympic Committee has announced that it will provide its first-ever nursery for parent athletes located in the Olympic/Paralympic Village, where athletes will have an easy landing spot to meet up with their children and caregivers. &Mother is demonstrating the essential need for the nursery at the Olympic/Paralympic Village by bridging the monetary gap that inhibits athletes from being able to afford bringing their children with them to the Summer Olympics/Paralympics. The “Bring the Babies” Grant is a concerted effort by &Mother and its partners to make sure the purpose of this sanctioned nursery is fulfilled.
Congratulations to our “Bring the Babies” Changemaker Grant recipients!
Quanera Hayes
Olympic Track & Field: Sprinter
Sarah Newberry Moore
Olympic Sailing
Elle St. Pierre
Olympic Track & Field: Mid & Long-distance
Femita Ayanbeku
Paralympic Track & Field: Sprinter
Mallory Weggemann
Paralympic Swimming
"Statistics show that female athletes face a motherhood penalty, with 47% of mothers in sports reporting that they've had to reduce their training or competition schedule due to childcare responsibilities. Additionally, sponsorships historically haven't covered the extra resources needed for their children, making it difficult for these athletes to compete on a level playing field."
“What good is a nursery if athletes can’t afford to bring their families to the Games to nurse and, or witness their mom represent their country at the highest level of sport? Most Olympic-qualified moms have already exhausted their monetary resources to cover unpaid maternity leave and childcare just to qualify for the Games. Thanks to the generosity of our partners – Bobbie, CLIF BAR, Movement Genius, and countless individual donors – we are proud to bring our best athletes as their whole selves to represent Team USA.”
“We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue their athletic dreams and passions — including moms. We are proud to support Alysia and &Mother in their work to break down barriers and make the games more accessible for athlete mothers and their families.”
Thank you to our sponsors and individual supporters for making the
“Bring the Babies” Changemaker Grants possible!
“As the only mom-founded and led infant formula company in the U.S., we know firsthand that our babies are our greatest sources of inspiration. These athletes should never have to choose between pursuing their Olympic dreams and being with their kids. That’s why we are so proud to join &Mother in their initiative to bring the babies to the games – we want to see these incredible moms with a medal in one hand and a baby in the other!”
Interested in helping &Mother fund more Changemaker Grants?