Published: July 21, 2020

Biden’s Economic Relief and Recovery Plan Puts America’s Families First with Expansion and Resourcing of Essential Caregiving Workforce they Rely on

 

America’s caregivers are an essential part of our family infrastructure allowing us to do our jobs while ensuring that our loved ones – children, parents, and family members with disabilities – are cared for. But caregiving has long been under resourced and under appreciated. That’s changing. In a major announcement this week, Joe Biden is putting this critical part of our economy front and center in the national debate.

Joe Biden’s plan will invest in our future by providing necessary relief and resources for families and their caregivers and early childhood educators, predominantly Black and brown women, who care for our grandparents and nurture our future generations. 

Even before the COVID crisis the need for quality long-term care and child care providers were among the most pressing needs for families in our current and future economy. While the demand for care providers was growing, America’s care system was itself in crisis. America’s caregivers provide an essential service without adequate pay, benefits and security to care for their own families.

Joe Biden’s plan will provide landmark relief and recovery for families and caregivers by:

  • Providing relief to financially-stressed states, tribal governments and localities to keep direct care and child care services running. 
  • Creating 3 million new jobs to meet the needs of families; 1.5 million in homecare and community health, as well as another 1.5 million focused on child care and education. 
  • Investing in public health and creating new, community health worker jobs to help address the racial disparities in our healthcare system that the COVID crisis has laid bare. 
  • Higher wages, better benefits, and strong unions for caregivers. Because caregiving must support a family. 

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