Moms everywhere know they have one of the best and most difficult jobs in the world. With so many different responsibilities and hats to wear, there is no doubt that moms could use whatever help they can get. The team at Kremp looked at a critical aspect of the motherhood experience: location. Their new infographic shows us that some states offer Moms a lot of support while others present more of a challenge. This color-coded map shows us the scores of each state as well as the details of how and why each state earned its score.
The team’s method for scoring states was comprehensive and considered the aspects of motherhood that have the biggest impact on living there. These included:
• Women’s Median Earnings
• Gender Wage Gap
• Child Care Costs
• Percentage of Mothers in Good or Excellent Health
• Percentage of Children in Good or Excellent Health
• Percentage of the Population Under 18
• State School System Scores
• Percentage of Parents Who “Definitely Agree” Their Child is Safe in School
• Weeks of Parental Leave Available
• Paid Family Leave Availability
• Job Protection
We think these criteria nailed what mothers seek in a supportive community. Finances are huge. Parents need the ability to provide food, shelter, clothing, and enrichment for their child, and a lack of funds can create a direct barrier to that. States with higher wages for women and lower childcare costs ranked highly.
The health of moms and kids is crucial, too, so the Kremp team included a score for the health conditions of mothers and children. Next, of top importance is education, specifically focused on school safety and quality of education. Schools are a vital part of a mother’s support network. The team also looked at parental leave options. Different states require businesses to provide varying amounts of time off for new mothers and fathers. The more time off, the easier for mothers to help their newborns thrive.
So, which states received the highest scores? According to the results, these are the top ten high scorers:
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Connecticut
• Kentucky
• Delaware
• South Dakota
• New York
• Rhode Island
• Florida
We should also pay attention to which states present challenges for mothers. These states had the lowest scores:
• Montana
• Arizona
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• South Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Nevada
• West Virginia
• New Mexico
When we consider all the data the team collected, we can see how some states might make motherhood easier than others. Many families consider location an important aspect when planning their futures. The Kremp team provided a helpful resource for moms to prioritize what they consider the most important. Families thrive when they are not burdened by the costs of childcare and healthcare and have access to the support and opportunities provided by a strong educational system.
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