- Momivate's MomEconomy app lets moms barter goods and services, reducing costs.
- The app aims to combat parent isolation by fostering community support networks.
- BYU students are developing the app, with statewide rollout expected later this year.
SALT LAKE CITY — Raising a child can cost more than $300,000 by the time they turn 18. A Utah nonprofit is hoping a new app can help lighten that financial load — while also combating parent isolation.
Momivate, a nonprofit focused on supporting mothers, is developing a new app called MomEconomy, designed to let moms barter goods and services with one another instead of spending cash.
"It's a way for moms to trade what they already have — their skills, time, or extra items — without dipping into their savings," said Amanda Ballash, with Momivate.
The concept builds on Momivate's existing mission of helping moms "find their village."
Through the app, parents will be able to exchange things like child care, meal prep, tutoring, or other everyday services, no money required.
For Alisha Hemmert, that sense of community came at a critical time. After the birth of her second child, she struggled with postpartum depression. Shortly after, her husband was diagnosed with brain cancer.
"I felt really alone and like I didn't know who to turn to for help," Hemmert said. "I really wish I had that village everybody talks about."
Four years later, Hemmert says her husband is doing well, all things considered, and she has found support through Momivate. The organization is best known for its "revolving closet" program, which allows moms to trade outgrown children's clothing for free.
"Moms can bring clothes their children have outgrown and trade them for clothes other mothers have brought," said Regan Barnes, the founder of Momivate. "Children grow really fast, and this helps take some of the pressure off."
The MomEconomy app takes that idea further, expanding the exchange beyond clothes to services and resources.
A group of four Brigham Young University students is helping bring the app to life, coding it as part of their capstone project.
"Out of all the projects available, MomEconomy stood out to me," said BYU student Jacquelyn Guernsey. "It just sounded the most fulfilling to work on."
The students have spent hundreds of hours developing the app, which is expected to enter beta testing within the next few weeks. Momivate hopes to roll it out statewide later this year — with plans to expand beyond Utah.
Because, organizers say, moms give so much of themselves every day.
"Somebody needs to be there to serve them," Barnes said. "And that's what Momivate is."
