NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Mom Starts Here

Photo by Tom Miller

“Sometimes just having someone show up for you when other organizations don’t have the capacity or the ability to, makes all the difference.”

Diapers. Car seats. Cribs. Before a baby even takes their first steps, the cost of parenting can feel like an uphill battle. For families already facing financial hardship, it’s not just overwhelming; it can feel impossible to keep up. 

That’s why Mom Starts Here exists. Founded in 2016 by Kyla Schmidt, the Troy-based nonprofit has served over 2,000 individual families spanning Schenectady, Albany, Rensselaer, and Oneida counties. Mom Starts Here was born from a personal struggle: as a low-income single mother, Schmidt fought to find the resources she needed in a system that seemed determined to make it harder. Instead of accepting those barriers, she built something better.

“As a working mom, it was difficult for me to find resources that were accessible to me without having to participate in a ten-week class or jump through hoops,” Schmidt explains. “Sometimes you just need material items and not necessarily a class. Those are important too, but in my experience, not being able to find a pack ‘n play, or a crib, or a car seat program that was available to me drove me to start to explore what resources existed and start to design some programs to fill those gaps.”

Originally focused on supporting young mothers, Mom Starts Here quickly expanded to serve all low-income parents facing financial instability. 

“The more that I worked with parents in the community, the more I saw that the need wasn’t limited to young moms in particular,” Schmidt says. “The stress of trying to break out of the cycle of poverty affects so many families. ‘Do I still qualify? Did they cut this? Did they cut that? And if I don’t qualify, where am I going to get what my child needs?’” 

That growing demand and those pressing questions shaped Mom Starts Here into what it is today: a lifeline for parents. The nonprofit operates with two key focus areas. One provides essential material items—diapers, pack ‘n plays, car seats, baby carriers, breastfeeding supplies, socks, bibs, and more—through a network of nine baby item sites across the aforementioned four counties, with more launching soon. Families can walk in and grab what they need, no questions asked. 

The other side of their work supports parents beyond material needs. They focus on emotional health, coaching, peer support groups, lactation support, potty training, co-parenting guidance, and building strong parent-child relationships. Their Community Baby Showers, held four times a year in partnership with Trinity Alliance, are a major part of that outreach. Schmidt has seen firsthand how the right support can change lives. 

“I’ve had moms tell me, ‘You saved my life.’ Sometimes just having someone show up for you when other organizations don’t have the capacity or the ability to, makes all the difference. I’ve heard, ‘If I didn’t get this from you, I wouldn’t have been able to find it anywhere.’ And we’re not just talking about diapers. We’ve helped families secure emergency housing, cover move-in expenses, and provide real stability.” 

But the challenges low-income parents face aren’t just about access, they’re about the system itself. “Social services aren’t meeting the actual needs of families,” Schmidt says. “There are so many rules about what you can get help with. And even when there are good policies, they don’t go far enough for the most vulnerable families. Diapers aren’t covered by food stamps or WIC. Most food pantries receive them but don’t stock them because they don’t see it as part of their mission.

 “Same with car seats. There’s a government grant for them, but the rules require parents to get trained on installation, which sounds great in theory, but what if they don’t speak English? What if they don’t have a car? So what’s happening is that some of the people who need these things the most are falling through the cracks.”

Mom Starts Here works to fill those gaps, often through partnerships. They collaborate with Trinity Alliance, Catholic Charities, Connect Center, Schenectady City Mission, the Rotterdam Community Center, and now SUNY Schenectady, where they’re going to be setting up a baby item site in the campus food pantry. Their next initiative is a baby item library where families can borrow more age-specific things like high chairs, strollers, and play centers.

For those looking to support the mission, Schmidt emphasizes that there are countless ways to get involved, including through donations and volunteering. 

Mom Starts Here is also seeking people who are ready to take an active role in shaping how programs are run. Fundraising, internships, and skills in communications and marketing are also crucial to their success. Monthly donors are a lifeline for the organization, helping to ensure that children get the essentials they need. Thanks to the support of monthly donors, several kids in the program can be completely diapered.

Schmidt encourages community members to reach out by clicking the ‘Give’ tab on their website (https://www.momstartshere.org) or via email (volunteer@momstartshere.org) if they’re interested in volunteering. The organization offers a variety of opportunities from sorting donations to helping with fundraising and communications. For those wanting to donate, the nonprofit accepts a wide range of items with drop-off locations in Rotterdam and Albany. Every bit of support helps to strengthen the foundation of this essential work which, at its core, is about breaking the cycle.

“Most of the time, parents living in poverty were children that were living in poverty. They have not had equal access, and us intervening now is the most impactful way to give that generation a leg up,” Schmidt says. 

“A parent is the most impactful person in the life of a child. As much as we can give time, effort, and money to education, access to food, and after-school programs, it’s all important… but if you’re not building the parent, the child is still at risk. Giving them what they need and walking with them is the most impactful way to address the crisis that we have in our communities around poverty and children suffering.”

Visit www.momstartshere.org to access resources, sign up to volunteer, donate, or learn more about the organization.