Care Can’t Wait Statement on White House Proclamation Recognizing April as Care Workers Recognition Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 31, 2023) – In response to the Biden-Harris Administration announcing a White House Proclamation declaring April as Care Workers Recognition Month, the Care Can’t Wait Coalition issued the following statement:
“The foundation of a strong economy is a strong care economy — with paid leave for all, affordable child care, and accessible aging and disability care — and the beating heart of the care economy are care workers. Direct care workers care for our aging family members and disabled loved ones so that they can live independently and with dignity. They enable families across this country to thrive.
“The need for care workers in the country is only growing. The care workforce is rapidly increasing as our families grow, age, and flourish. However, the workforce continues to face unabated challenges and deep-seated inequalities: low pay, long hours, lack of benefits, and unpaid labor. The poor quality of direct care jobs is directly linked to racism and sexism. The work is done overwhelmingly by women — largely by Black, Brown, and immigrant women — but these jobs often lack the most basic protections and benefits including adequate wages, overtime pay, paid leave, and the right to form a union.
“It is time to ensure that care jobs are good jobs. It is time to make permanent investments to strengthen our care infrastructure for our families, loved ones, the economy, and our future.
“The Care Can’t Wait coalition applauds The Biden-Harris Administration for shining a light on our country’s care workers and demands Congress finish the job and invest in our care workers. Fully investing into our care workforce is not only critical to our economic resilience but is also key to building a more equitable and sustainable future where all families can thrive. We simply can not wait any longer to transform the care landscape so everyone can live, work, and age with dignity.”
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CARE CAN’T WAIT is a coalition of organizations, stakeholders and advocates committed to building a comprehensive, 21st century care infrastructure — that means robust investments to expand access to childcare, paid family and medical leave (PFML), and home- and community-based services (HCBS), and ensure good jobs for the care workforce. The coalition is led by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO); AAPD, Be A Hero; Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy; Caring Across Generations; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Closing the Women’s Wealth Gap; Community Change & Economic Security Project Community Change; Family Values @ Work; MomsRising; National Domestic Workers Alliance; National Partnership for Women & Families; National Women’s Law Center; Paid Leave for All; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Supermajority; The Arc; and ZERO TO THREE.