Our Mission
Our mission is to support all parents throughout the postpartum and parenting experience.
Who We Are
We are Joey for Roo; a mom-owned, Baltimore proud clothing brand with a mission. Being a parent is HARD, whether you’re taking care of a newborn or a toddler or beyond. We want to support moms and dads and all parents through uniquely designed, handstitched clothing that empowers and affirms. We want to open up a dialogue about postpartum mental health in the YEARS following birth. We want to create a community of parents and provide resources to those struggling.
*We want all that, and we also want you and these kiddos to look and feel great.*
My Story
My name is Allison, and I'm the "we" behind Joey for Roo. I’m still working through my postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD that came on after my son was born in February 2019 (more about that in my blog here). In the midst of the really rough early days and nights, I thought about sticking post-it notes on my son; messages of affirmation and encouragement. It occurred to me it would be easier to just put it on the bodysuit itself and that’s how the idea for this little company was born. I was shocked after searching the depths of the internet that nothing like this already existed. Babies can’t read, so why are we targeting their clothing messages for them instead of their parents, who often desperately need a little support? I’m a self-taught embroiderer and Enneagram 6 who can’t stay away from non-profit work and I’ve got my fingers crossed that we can make a difference for parents through some thread and cloth and community.
Why "Joey for Roo?"
Kangaroos are some of the most visible parents in the world; mother roos carry baby joeys around in their pouches providing safety, comfort, and home. They are a striking visual embodiment of the parental experience. As parents, we give so much love and support to our babies, but that sometimes means we don’t have much left for ourselves. Joey for Roo is about creating a way for baby to give a little love back, supporting moms and dads and all parents with messages of empowerment and affirmation.
Our Core Values and Beliefs
We believe:
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No mother, father, parent, or caregiver should suffer alone from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
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Maternal mental health should not be an after-thought of the pregnancy, labor and delivery, postpartum, or adoption experience. It should be discussed openly, honestly, and often by any health, medical, and/or birth professionals responsible for the care of mothers, birthing people, parents, and babies.
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Calls and actions to improve maternal mental health and all mental health must not be whitewashed and must be intersectional, including all races and all gender identities. We must recognize and act to remedy the significant and deadly disparities that exist for non-white, non-cis-gender mothers, especially those in the Black and Trans communities.
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We acknowledge how we have benefited and continue to benefit from white supremacy. We commit to listening, learning, and acting to become better allies and co-conspirators to end systemic racism.
Anti-Racism Commitment
Joey for Roo is committed to anti-racism as both a company and individuals. We commit to the following action steps:
In acknowledging the whiteness of our brand and content, we will be working to diversify our imagery and story-telling in an honest and authentic way. We hope to accomplish this by:
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Connecting directly with mothers, fathers, and parents of color who are interested in becoming brand ambassadors;
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Using our platform to share the stories and experiences of Black mothers, fathers, parents, and caregivers; and
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Amplifying the voices of Black parents, caregivers, and birth workers, especially as it relates to maternal health and mental health.
In acknowledging our privilege as a white-owned company in an economy rooted in white supremacy, we will be working to invest a portion of our monthly company budget to the Black community. We will accomplish this by:
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Working towards at least 30% of our company budget going towards Black-owned businesses or individuals such as employees, vendors/contractors, software and services, speakers, books, and more; and
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Donating a portion of each month’s profits to an organization committed to supporting Black mothers, fathers, parents, caregivers, birth workers, and children.
In acknowledging our responsibility to help end white supremacy and systemic racism, we will be using our voice and platform to amplify Black voices whenever appropriate and speak out against racism and hate. We will accomplish this by:
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Seeking out the voices of Black parents, caregivers, and birth workers through social media, online platforms, media, books, movies, documentaries, television, and any other available sources. Amplifying these voices to be shared with our customers and community;
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Never tolerating hate or racist speech or discussion; and
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Never silencing the voices or experiences of Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) on our social media pages, website, blog, or any other platform.
In acknowledging the fact that I, Joey for Roo’s founder, will never have a full first-hand understanding of the impact of systemic racism and white supremacy, we will always be open and receptive to discussion and suggestions of how we can do and be better allies and co-conspirators.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you would like to provide feedback, thoughts, or check on our progress on any of these action steps.