25,000 People Join Care Can’t Wait Coalition in Demanding Answers from Presidential Candidates on their Plans to Lower Costs of Care
WASHINGTON D.C. – Thousands of caregivers, care workers, seniors and disabled people who need care, signed a petition calling on ABC Studios to ask a question about care at the upcoming presidential debate on September 10 to elevate this crucial issue to the forefront of the National conversation around lowering costs for families.
Support for the petition was amplified during the Care Can’t Wait coalition’s recent nationwide bus tour, which traveled across seven states and nine cities over the course of six days to galvanize elected and public support for the care agenda and investments in the care economy. The tour highlighted the urgent need to prioritize solutions for affordable, accessible aging and disability care in the home and community, high-quality child care, paid leave, and good jobs for care workers.
Below is a statement from the Care Can’t Wait coalition regarding the petition:
“Households across the nation are actively engaging in tough conversations about caregiving. Whether it’s supporting a disabled family member, caring for an aging parent, child, sibling, or grandparent, the topic of caregiving is something we all face at some point in our lives, and right now, those conversations are centered on the continual rising costs of care.
“By integrating caregiving into the debate agenda, moderators can elevate a vital discussion on how national policies can alleviate the issues and financial stressors faced by many caregivers. We know that investing in care would not only provide families some relief, but would benefit our economy and help society as a whole.
“It’s time for improved systems and investments in the care economy that ensure no one has to sacrifice paying bills to care for their loved ones. The time for rhetoric alone has passed; now is the moment for discussion and decisive action and investments in the care economy. We are urging moderators to ask the candidates to address their plans for building a care infrastructure. This should include affordable childcare, universal paid leave, and accessible aging and disability care.”
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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); American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); Be A Hero; Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy; Caring Across Generations; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Child Care for Every Family Network; Coalition on Human Needs; Community Change; Family Values @ Work; Institute for Women’s Policy Research; MomsRising; National Domestic Workers Alliance; National Partnership for Women & Families; National Women’s Law Center; Paid Leave for All; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); The Arc; and ZERO TO THREE.