Registration

National Day of Action for Maternal Mental Health: Virtual Congressional Meetings

Join MMHLA in advocating for the continued federal funding of two maternal mental health programs that serve thousands of moms in the U.S. every year:

You will be in state-based teams meeting virtually via Zoom with your federal elected officials. In preparation, you will receive training, resources, and guidance to help you have impactful meetings.

(This component of our National Day of Action was formerly called “Advocacy Day”).

Before you register, take note of these mandatory events.

Team Leader Training (mandatory for Team Leaders only)*

  • Virtual on Zoom

  • Thursday, February 26, 2026

  • 2pm - 3pm EST

  • *Team Leaders will be contacted separately.

All Advocate Training (mandatory)

  • Virtual on Zoom

  • Tuesday, March 3, 2026

  • 2pm - 3pm EST

Virtual Congressional Meetings (mandatory)

  • Virtual on Zoom

  • Tuesday, March 10, 2026

  • 11am - 5pm EST

Before you register, take note of this information.

REGISTRATION FEE

The registration fee is $25. If this fee is inaccessible, please email mhemstad@mmhla.org.

DEADLINE TO REGISTER

Monday, February 23, 2026, before 5pm EST.

YOUR COMMITMENT

Registering for Advocacy Day is a serious commitment. A great deal of work goes into scheduling the appointments with Congressional offices. Only register if you know you can commit your full day on March 10, 2026 and attend the mandatory training(s). Thank you!

ACCESSIBILITY

MMHLA strives to make our Advocacy Day accessible to all. We use Zoom for our virtual meetings. Participants will have access to the accessibility features available in Zoom, including live captioning, transcription, screen reader access, etc. We will also record and share the training sessions.

If you need any accommodations, please email Mia Hemstad at mhemstad@mmhla.org by February 18, 2026. 

Anyone from the U.S. states and territories is welcome to register. We are especially looking for representation from southern states, specifically: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Missouri.

Fill out the Registration Form

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Monday, February 23, 2026, before 5pm EST.

Why do we ask for so much information?

In order to build our state-based teams and connect you with the right elected officials, we need this information from you.

We take data privacy seriously and do not share or sell your information.

Hear what previous advocates have to say…

  • “Empowered and grateful to share my story publicly for the first time in order to advocate on behalf of others whose voices remain unheard.”

    Natasha Fahlgren, Consortium Manager, Healthy Start Enhanced - San Bernardino

  • "It was great to be able to be part of bills being supported and passed advancing maternal mental health resources."

    Adriana Reyes de Merkle, MSW, LCSW Candidate, Lead Advocate Board Member for PSI-MT, Expecting first-time mom

  • "Fired up! I was so impressed and moved by how much my fellow moms had been through, and that they had turned their struggles into action."

    Jessie Colbert, Founder and Executive Director, Mass. PPD Fund

  • "On top of the world!"

    Ambar Rivera, CD/PCD(DONA), LCCE, CLC, CLE, SBD

  • "Great experience. I feel very proud to be involved!"

    Joan Stefka, BS Health Science, Will County Health Department Well-Woman Program

  • "Like a champion."

    Mercedez Johnson

  • "Elevated and empowered! It was great to be able to voice the needs in our field directly to the lawmakers’ offices."

    Simal Ozen Irmak

  • "As someone who struggled during postpartum with my girls and boys, knowing there are individuals and organizations advocating for high quality care touches my heart."

    Laela Bisgrove

  • "I felt like I'd done something that might make a real difference for moms and families."

    Nicole

  • "I enjoyed sharing my experiences and the experiences of mamas in my community with the different Congressional offices."

    Tamara Robertson, Mama, US Navy Veteran, Community Doula

  • "It was amazing to think that these people might remember our stories and share them when making decisions in the future."

    Rachel

FAQs

  • The goal of these meetings is to:

    • Educate Congressional staffers about maternal mental health

    • Share why this issue is important

    • Ask for continued funding for maternal mental health health programs.

    Advocates are assigned to teams of 3-5 people, each of which includes an experienced advocate who serves as Team Leader.

    Each team will have 2-6 virtual meetings with staff from Congressional offices representing your state(s). 

  • Absolutely! We will teach you everything you need to know to be an effective advocate, including sharing information about the programs we are supporting and providing talking points for meetings with Congressional offices.

    You will not be alone: all advocates are assigned to teams of 3-5 people, including a Team Leader, who is an experienced advocate.

    The MMHLA team, as well as your fellow advocates, will help you feel supported and prepared.

  • We want to be sure that all advocates are prepared. During this training, you will learn about maternal mental health programs and policies as well as how the day will unfold. 

    You will also meet your advocacy team members and the MMHLA team who will be guiding you through this important work. 

  • The All Advocate Training is for everyone participating in the Virtual Congressional Meetings.

    The Team Leader Training is specifically for people who will lead Congressional meetings.

    Only Team Leaders need to attend the Team Leader Training.

  • We ask all advocates to commit to participating in activities from 11am to 5pm EST.

    We start the day with a 30-minute rally session, then individual teams meet for 30 minutes.

    Meetings with Congressional offices are scheduled from 12pm - 4pm EST; each team will have 2-6 meetings during this time period.

    We will end the day with a 30-minute debrief session.

  • Since we know that the most effective advocacy includes both data and stories, we ask potential advocates to be prepared to share their personal story.

    We encourage you to be mindful about how sharing your story and/or hearing other stories might impact your mental and emotional health and to plan accordingly.

    It is also okay to decide that this year might not be the best year to participate if it will be too challenging. Your mental health always comes first.

  • There is a registration fee of $25 per person because a lot of time and resources goes into organizing this event.

    If this fee is inaccessible to you, please reach out to Mia Hemstad at mhemstad@mmhla.org.

  • MMHLA strives to make the Virtual Congressional Meetings accessible to all.

    We use Zoom for our virtual meetings. Participants will have access to the accessibility features available in Zoom, including live captioning, transcription, screen reader access, etc. We will also record and share the training sessions.

    If you need any accommodations, please email Mia Hemstad at mhemstad@mmhla.org by February 18, 2026.

Organized by

WHO WE ARE

We are a 501(c)3 nonpartisan nonprofit organization leading national efforts to improve maternal mental health in the United States by advocating for policies, building partnerships, and curating information.

Read More

OUR IMPACT

Since 2019, we have helped pass groundbreaking federal legislation and secured $86.5 million in federal funding to create programs across the country that support maternal mental health.

Read More

Special thanks to our partners who help make our annual Day of Action a success!

Postpartum Support International (PSI)

Postpartum Support International is the go-to support resource for new mothers and parents.

Alliance for People of Color

The Alliance is a program within Postpartum Support International that aims to increase the capacity of perinatal professionals to better support individuals, families, and communities of color around perinatal mood disorders.

MomsRising

MomsRising is an on-the-ground and online multicultural organization of more than a million members and over a hundred aligned organizations working to increase family economic security, to end discrimination against women and mothers, and to build a nation where both businesses and families can thrive.

Chamber of Mothers

Chamber of Mothers is the largest nonpartisan nonprofit fighting for maternal rights in the U.S. — reaching between 4 and 20 million mothers a month with 100,000 members nationwide, and 41 local chapters in 29 states (and counting).