Few things shout “mother runner!” more than a newly established grant program introduced by For All Mothers+ in partnership with Strava. Through this grant, 50 (!!) mothers will receive $2,000 (!!) each to offset the childcare, travel, and support costs that can stand in the way of stepping up to a starting line. The deadline to apply is coming up fast—June 14—so we asked Victoria Chiampas, Program Manager of For All Mothers+, to tell us more. We strongly encourage you to apply—read on!

Q: What was the genesis of the “Childcare So They Can Get Out There” Grants? 

A: We’ve known for decades that professional and recreational athletes are missing from the start line, and not by choice. Thanks to social media and inspiration from brave pioneers like our founder Alysia Montaño, story after story emerged from moms who struggled with training for their preferred sport/activity; inflexible race deferral policies; and/or the logistics of how they would pump/feed their baby while participating in the event. To help bring the issue to light, Strava funded our research study, which provided much impossible-to-ignore data, including that 83% of parents reported that pregnancy and/or their role as a parent has prevented them from participating in a race. 

Strava was so moved by all the research data that they pledged $100K to be distributed across 50 moms as the “Childcare So They Can Get Out There” grants to directly address the lack of childcare support, the #1 barrier keeping moms on the sidelines. 

Q: Wait, 50 moms will each receive $2K to take part in a race of their choice? Like just a “regular” mother runner traveling to a “regular” race? They don’t have to be pro runners? 

A: Yes! The program is designed for recreational runners—everyday mother runners who want to participate in a race of their choice. The “Childcare So They Can Get Out There” Grant is the amateur athlete version of our “Bring the Babies” Grant. Publicly broadcasted podium moments of professional athlete moms have become podium moments for all mothers. These moments shift the narrative so we can implement the same standards at events for amateur athlete mothers who also deserve their podium moments by crossing the finish line. 

Q: What’s the application process like: Are we talking like reams of online “paperwork” or making scads of IG Reels? 

A: We designed the application to be as informative, but efficient, as possible because we know moms are busy people! There are only three long-form questions about your experiences with common race barriers for parents and how this grant will impact your ability to participate. You will also have the opportunity to upload photos to help tell your story. A few quick-hit details: applicants must reside in the U.S. and demonstrate they are currently training for or planning to participate in a race or endurance event taking place in 2025. (Find all the details here.)

Q: How does a mom need to show she will be putting the grant money toward childcare and travel to bring her kiddo(s) with her? 

A: We know the costs of childcare and travel often go far beyond what this grant can cover, so we don’t require receipts or detailed budgets. This grant is built on trust, and we ask grantees to share their story on social media to show how the support made a difference in helping them train for and complete their race or event. These stories are a powerful way to highlight the often-overlooked challenges mother runners face and help shift the broader narrative around caregiving and sport.

Q: Can the child(ren) be any age? Like can a mom apply to bring along a kid old enough to hold up a sign along the course, or are we just talking about a baby who might still be breastfeeding?

A: We love photos of kids holding signs, extra points for those! (Kidding.) To qualify, children can be of any age or situation that requires a caregiver. 

Q: We love that these grants are intended to help women overcome the “motherhood penalty.” To be clear: The funds are for use during training and to attend the race, correct? 

A: Definitely—childcare-to-train was the original intention behind this grant!  We hope these moms-in-training take the opportunity to put at least some of the funds towards childcare during their months of training so that they can show up to the start line conditioned, rested, and ready to take on the challenge!