Families Speak Out at Strolling Thunder

It's time for babies to be a national priority.

Social media feeds are filled with parents detailing their day-to-day challenges. Why? Because they need to be heard. They need comradery. They need change.

That’s what our Strolling Thunder™ event is all about. We bring families from all 50 states and Washington, DC to Capitol Hill to tell Congress it’s time to #ThinkBabies.

represent your state at the next strolling thunder
Strolling Thunder™ brings parents straight to Congress.

A parent struggling to find affordable, reliable child care so she can keep working. A mother whose daughter thrived because of early intervention services after being born with a serious medical condition. And a family who relied on Medicaid, SNAP, and Head Start to weather health and financial challenges. Their stories highlight how critical family-support programs help children thrive and keep families stable.

Futures in Motion: Strolling Thunder 2026 Recap

Strolling Thunder 2026 brought families from across the country to Capitol Hill to share their stories and advocate for policies that support babies and toddlers. In more than 140 meetings with lawmakers, families urged Congress to protect Medicaid and SNAP and invest in child care, economic security, and infant and early childhood mental health.

Families were joined by policymakers from both sides of the aisle, including House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ), Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ). Their participation underscored the bipartisan recognition that supporting young children and families is an investment in the future strength and prosperity of our nation.

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The event is a cornerstone of our Think Babies campaign, a national movement and a call to action for policymakers to prioritize the needs of infants, toddlers, and their families and to invest in our nation’s future.

Federal priorities include:

  • Increasing access to high-quality, affordable child care;
  • Creating a national paid family and medical leave program;
  • Increasing investments in Early Head Start so that more families living in poverty can benefit from the program’s comprehensive services;
  • Increasing support for infant and early childhood mental health services;
  • Providing support to transform the child welfare system; and
  • Making the expanded Child Tax Credit permanent to increase families’ economic security.
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In addition to private meetings with their individual representatives, Strolling Thunder families join a rally on Capitol Hill to bring public awareness to the issues that affect families.

See more news coverage from Strolling Thunder 2026 at WXPR and Bucks County Beacon.

Do these stories seem familiar?

See how to represent your state at the next Strolling Thunder! Sign up for updates from our Think Babies advocacy team.

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