RAISE MAGAZINE

R E D E F I N I N G    M O T H E R H O O D
A lifestyle site for modern mothers, featuring stories of stepparenting, adoption, foster care, surrogacy, and non-traditional families.
Raise Media Kit 2020

"My goal is to create the resource and community I wish I had when I was new to stepparenting and adoption."

Jessica Butler is the creator of Raise Magazine, stepmother of two, and adoptive mother of one. Prior to Raise, she was a writer on USA’s In Plain Sight and TNT’s The Last Ship. She and her husband, writer/producer Warren Bell, co-created the Nick at Nite series Instant Mom, based on her life as a stepmother. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and five-year-old son, Levon.

One in 10 children lives with a non-biological parent.

44%

of women in America have a step relationship —  a stepchild, stepparent, or step or half sibling

4.6 million

children live in blended families

1.5 million

children are adopted

443,000

children are in foster care

4 million

LGBT women are raising a child

1 in 5

children lives with a solo mother

OUR READERS

Media Kit, Raise Magazine
c/o amber hicks. image: livejoy photography

87%

Female

81%

American

64%

Age 25 – 44

Media Kit, Raise Magazine
c/o katy tibbets tolitano. image: brad bruce.
STEPMOMS

Navigating marriage, instant motherhood, and co-parenting all at once. Newly blended families. Women with stepparents and step siblings of their own. 44% of women in America have a stepchild, stepparent, or step or half sibling.

 

ADOPTIVE MOMS

Hopeful and current adoptive mamas navigating open and closed adoptions, interracial and kinship adoptions, and the day-to-day challenges of raising an adopted child. 1.5 million children in the United States are adopted.

 

FOSTER MAMAS

Those fostering to adopt, and those fostering the family with the goal of reunification. Nearly a half million children are currently in foster care.

 

SINGLE MOMS

Single moms by choice, women navigating divorce and co-parenting, and mamas parenting solo after the loss of a spouse. Women juggling work and motherhood and moms re-entering the dating game. 1 in 5 children live with a solo mother.

 

INFERTILITY WARRIORS

Mothers of families built through IVF, egg & sperm donation, embryo adoption, and surrogacy. Over 7 million women in the U.S. are affected by infertility.

 

LGBT PARENTS

More than 4 million LGBT women in America are raising a child. Same-sex couples are six times more likely to foster children, and four times more likely to adopt. A 2019 study found that 30.4% of foster youth identify as LGBTQ, and foster youth are twice as likely to identify as LGBTQ than youth living outside foster care.

 

EVERYONE IN BETWEEN

Women raising grandchildren, siblings, family members, or family friends. More than 7 million grandparents live with their grandchildren, and one-third serve as their grandchildren’s primary care giver.

To raise a question, contribute a story, advertise, or submit your family to be profiled in Raise email us at hello@raisemagazine.com.

OUR TEAM

Jessica Butler

Jessica Butler is the co-founder of Raise, stepmother of two, and adoptive mother of one. Prior to Raise, she was a writer on USA’s "In Plain Sight" and TNT’s "The Last Ship." She and her husband, writer/producer Warren Bell, co-created the Nick at Nite series "Instant Mom," based on her life as a stepmother. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and six-year-old son, Levon.

Erin Jackson

Erin Jackson is the co-founder of Raise. She's a mother of two, wife, daughter, step-daughter, half sister, step-sister, proud millennial, and lover of travel. She also works as a marketing consultant and interior designer. When she's not working, you can find her planning her next trip, baking muffins, pretending she's going to go for a run, and avoiding playing Star Wars with her kids. She currently lives in Arkansas with her husband, Collin, and sons, Beckham and Reeves.

CONTRIBUTORS

Sarah Uslan

"Raise" Beauty Editor and celebrity makeup artist Sarah Uslan's client include Beyoncé, Solange Knowles, Lili Reinhart, Emma Roberts, Olivia Colman, Yalitza Aparicio, Constance Zimmer and Tori Kelly. Editorial publications include L'Officiel, Elle, Interview, GQ, Porter Edit, InStyle, Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, Darling, Schon, Flaunt, RUSSH, Nylon and Allure. Based in Los Angeles, Sarah divides her work schedule between L.A. and New York City.

Jen Singleton

Jen Singleton is the PR Consultant for “Raise” and co-owner of Socially Inspired, a digital marketing & communications agency. Jen partners with boutique brands and national organizations to elevate their reach through branded storytelling and social media strategies. Her favorite client is her bossy threenager, Eloise, whom she adopted in 2017.

Halley Dean

Halley Dean lives in Kansas with her husband, three children, and attack cat. By day, she puts her extensive social media stalking skills to use as a the head of her company’s special investigations unit. She is a would be writer and passionate advocate for social justice, particularly as it pertains to issues involving women and children. She has degrees in American History, Organizational Administration, and Communications, but is often unable to locate her car keys.

Adrian Collins

Adrian Collins writes about the real-life complexities of being both a birth mother and an adoptive mother. Adrian studied journalism at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and is married to her high school sweetheart. They currently reside in Denver, Colorado. Adrian's memoir about a mother's decision to relinquish a child at birth and the journey to rediscover herself in the aftermath is slated for release Spring 2021. She can be reached at http://www.adrianccollins.com, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Caitlin McKitterick

Caitlin McKitterick is a Canadian-based teacher, wife and stepmom of a four year old boy. On her blog www.bubblytobedtimestories.com, you will find the ramblings of a bachelorette-turned-stepmom on how she strives to live a balanced, inspired and fulfilled life amidst the chaos of a blended family.

Nichole Banducci

Nichole Banducci (MBA & Health Coach) is launching a new wellness site for moms: “Nurture Yourself. Then, Go Rock All Of Your Roles.” She enjoys dancing the line between foodie fanatic and wellness warrior. Happily, they both pair well with wine. Learn more at nicholebanducci.com or follow her on Instagram (@nicholebanducci).

Grace Victoria

Grace Victoria, Taurus gal. Addicted to coffee, laughing, adventuring, and giving my children the best. Grace was adopted at 6 weeks old and is a single mother to three beautiful children, ages 7, 4, and 2 years. She works as an administrative assistant at a construction company and is the owner of Mulatto Baby & Co. and Grace Victoria Crafts. Originally from Whittier, she now resides in Brea. She is currently writing her first book. She has been a writer since she was 8 years old.

Jessica Janssen Wolford

Jessica Janssen Wolford is a mom and stepmom raising three kids with her husband in Nebraska. When she's not managing the complicated schedule of her busy family, Jessica is juggling a professional career in higher education. She shares her journey through blended family life and step-parenting on her site, www.astepintherightdirection.live.

Jessica Tyler

Jessica Tyler is wife to Jeff and mom to two boys, Will and Ben. She is a non-profit semi-guru by day and an expert in cleaning marker off upholstery by night. She lives in Colorado with her boys and her cat Gracie, who adds another female to the mix.

Sarah DiMuro

Sarah DiMuro is an actor and writer in Toronto. Follow her on Instagram @sdimuro2018 and check out her vlog for "Rethink Breast Cancer."

Lia De Feo

Lia De Feo is a mother via surrogacy and the founder of Fly Bravely, a consultancy dedicated to de-stigmatizing infertility and raising awareness of infant loss. Follow on Instagram for inspiration, virtual support groups and more.

Jai Joseph

Jai Joseph is a writer based in Los Angeles.

Elizabeth Sutherland

Liz Sutherland grew up with no identity. She has no memory of the first few years of her life, outside of being dropped off at a stranger's house when she was a child. Liz and her siblings lived in an abusive home with a woman they were told was their grandmother until Liz gathered the courage to call social services to rescue herself and her siblings. Thrust into the foster care system, she learned to survive but never gave up hope that she might someday be reunited with her brother and sister and discover the truth about her identity. Demonstrating remarkable resilience, she graduated from Western Carolina University with degrees in Computer Information Systems & Criminal Justice. She now works in Tampa and is a frequent speaker for organizations such as the Women of Compassion Forum, 4Kids, and the Junior League of Tampa Bay. She was featured in the book Growing Up In The Care of Strangers and is the author of No Ordinary Liz, a memoir chronicling her incredible life story. You can read more about her experience in foster care and her search for her family on her blog noordinaryliz.com.

Jana Petrosini

Jana Petrosini is a mom who gets her butt kicked by her identical twin toddlers on the regular these days but loves every second of it. She is forever indebted to her amazing surrogate for bringing her baby girls into this world. When she's not being hugged, slobbered on, screamed at, or bitten by her kids (she's working on that last one), she’s a writer for children's television. She’s currently working on a few projects in the TV space along with “writing” her first picture book. She's made two batches of muffins in her life and is quite proud of them. And though her husband is a magnificent dad, she's tired of him asking, "Which twin am I holding?"

Denise Massar

Denise Massar is a mom, wife, and writer living in Southern California. She’s currently working on a memoir about her experience as an adoptee and adoptive mom, her miscarriage, the longing for a child, the grittiness and beauty of domestic adoption, the expectant moms she met as she searched for a baby, a marriage in trouble, a marriage strengthened, sex, drugs, and motherhood. You can read the first two chapters of her book, "Matched," at denisemassar.org

Robin Bakay

Robin Bakay lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.