Every month Janet St. George’s mom and four children drive from the Tri-Cities to Pine Lodge Corrections Center to spend the weekend with her. On Saturday, even though her 17-year-old son had to be home early to change into a tux for his high school prom, they couldn’t miss the prison’s last family event.

The four children and their grandmother huddled around St. George at Pine Lodge’s open house for Mother’s Day Saturday morning. “It’s really hard being away from my family,” St. George said. “These are the most important people in my life right here at this table.”

They sat together at a rectangular table in a cheerful room that appeared to be decorated for an elementary school carnival. The offenders, excited to have their families joining them, spent a month decorating murals with yellow flowers and Alice in Wonderland characters. They hung quilts from a balcony and set up areas for games, crafts and family photos.

It was the last family event the corrections center will host. The Washington Department of Corrections plans to close the facility by the end of May to save an estimated $10 million.

St. George’s kids don’t focus on state budget figures. Her 13-year-old daughter misses having her mom at home to take her shopping at the mall. Her 14-year-old misses his mom at his track meets. But they enjoyed visiting Pine Lodge to celebrate their mother’s accomplishments and holidays like this one.

For Eastern Washington kids like these, the closure of Pine Lodge means they won’t get to see their mothers as often.

Tears roll down the cheeks of moms and kids alike at these reunions because no matter what the crime, no matter how many mistakes a woman has made, she’s always and forever her child’s most primal connection.

Americans honor that psychological truth every Mother’s Day with an explosion of commercialism. This year, the National Retail Federation estimates Americans will spend $14.6 billion on the holiday. We’ll buy flowers, jewelry and greeting cards with messages that say: “Thank you, Mom, for always being there for me.”

But as our spending on this celebration has grown, society’s support for the single most important aspect of a mother’s role, her caring presence, has declined. This inverse relationship reflects a particularly American state of oblivion.

Research shows that kids who start out with shaky attachments often wind up with the worst, most socially expensive outcomes as adults. They may drop out of school, lack the emotional capacity to maintain relationships and turn to violence and crime.

On April 22, Department of Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail spoke on the Washington State Public Affairs TV Network. He acknowledged that closing Pine Lodge would separate children from their mothers. “That’s not a good thing,” he said, “but we’re under the gun to save as much money as we can.”

It’s the sort of message American moms hear frequently, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

A recent Australian study of working mothers showed that children of those who work part time were healthier than other children. They were less likely to be overweight, watch too much TV or eat junk food, and more likely to be physically active. Yet American employers have become less willing to provide part-time positions, not more.

This Mother’s Day is an occasion for grief for the families of the 70 to 80 Eastern Washington residents incarcerated at Pine Lodge who later this month will move to a facility six hours away. Especially for mothers and children, we could do more to keep these enduring, yet fragile, bonds intact.

Imagine if you had bend down to explain to a child: “We could keep your mom close by, but we just won’t. We’re under the gun to save money.”

There’s not a Hallmark card writer in the country who could put a positive spin on that message.

But it’s the sad truth.