Care in Action Announces
‘Care Wins,'

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5, 2023
Contact: Daniela Perez, [email protected]

Care in Action Announces ‘Care Wins,’ a Seven-Figure Campaign to Coalesce Supporters and Hold Elected Officials Accountable to Make Care a Defining Issue.

This campaign launch comes amid the country’s worsening care crisis.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over a month after the inaugural ‘Care Workers Can’t Wait Summit’ in Washington, D.C., and following the signing of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic set of executive orders to approve care affordability and care jobs, Care in Action is excited to announce the seven-figure ‘Care Wins’ campaign. The campaign is an early investment to organize, hear from, and engage with voters across the nation –  to shift care into a critical issue this year, next year, and beyond via our robust organizing infrastructure consisting of over 200 organizers in states like Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, and North Carolina.

‘Care Wins’ is amplifying the voices of millions of parents, caregivers, and care workers to form a constituency holding elected officials accountable to meet the growing demand for care. The campaign is designed to raise the profile of the care agenda and invite families across the country into a conversation about building a more robust care infrastructure.  

The care agenda – paid leave, childcare, pre-K, aging and disability care, and good jobs and wages for those providing care – has majoritarian support. Still, it has not yet been shaped into a winning issue.  Care Wins will coalesce supporters of care policies and help build the constituency – especially Black and brown women – to ensure that elected leaders prioritize the care agenda this year, next year, and beyond.  

Care in Action’s seven-figure investment includes a campaign launch video, direct voter contact efforts, and a comprehensive study that will poll constituents coast to coast on how a robust care agenda will impact their future.  

Below is a statement from Hillary Holley, Executive Director of Care in Action:

“The need for care transcends every segment of the population. We all, without exception, will find ourselves in need of care or providing care at some point in our lives – many of us already have or do. Every day, a new report shows how rising childcare prices drive people, especially women of color, out of the workforce – or how caregivers are burnt out because they cannot afford care services. Further, care workers – predominantly women of color who are three times as likely to experience poverty than other workers – are experiencing wage theft, burnout, and the absence of essential benefits. They, too, deserve access to the reliable care they diligently provide. Yet, despite overwhelming evidence that highlights the deteriorating care crisis, comprehensive actions remain elusive.

It’s time to put Care into Action. We’re ready for a care revolution.

That’s why we’re excited to launch a groundbreaking, seven-figure effort to ensure #CareWins for our families, economy, resilience, and shared future. #CareWins will amplify the voices of our nation’s working families, caregivers, children, elders, loved ones with disabilities, and care workers who equally deserve the embrace of a robust care infrastructure.

We must upend the narrative that the care crisis is a women’s issue. It’s a societal issue straining individuals, families, and communities in every corner of this country – including those who hold the power to make a difference. Regardless of who you are, you deserve access to care.

Ignoring the care crisis is not an option – it’s time to invest in a transformative care infrastructure that recognizes the universal need for care and support, and #CareWins is the fierce campaign that will get us there.”

We are ready for care to be a galvanizing issue.

The ‘Care Wins’ campaign is ready to reach Black and brown women across the country to get us toward a future with a transformative care infrastructure. Here’s what we know: 

• Care is Not a ‘Women’s Issue.’: As our families continue to flourish, men and women alike are feeling the pressures of the weakening care infrastructure. Over 80% of voters and business owners agree that funding for our childcare programs needs to increase. 
• Child Care is Out of Reach for Many Families: According to recent data from the National Database of Childcare Prices, many families nationwide cannot access childcare due to increasing prices and continue to face a caregiver turnover crisis. 
• Unpaid Caregiving Costs Families Billions of Dollars: According to a recent AARP study, the unpaid work provided by family caregivers is valued at an estimated $600 billion. This number is more than all out-of-pocket spending on healthcare in the U.S. in 2021. The cost of caregiving significantly affects families of color, who are more likely to live in multigenerational households. According to a 2014 survey by AARP, 42 percent of AAPI people reported helping care for their elders, compared with 22 percent of the general population. Further, a 2018 Pew Research study found that 29 percent of AAPI, 27 percent of Latinx, and 26 percent of Black families lived in multigenerational households compared to 16 percent of White families. 
• Care is Bipartisan: The need for care is not partisan –  62% of Republican women, 81% of Democratic women, and 71% of independent women expressed support for paid family and medical leave. Policies that support paid family and medical leave and accessible childcare access, and better wages for care professionals have strong bipartisan support, with Democrat support ranging between 75% and 79%, independent support ranging between 62% and 73%, and Republican support ranging between 53% and 60%.

Let’s unite behind the voices of families and caregivers and forge a path to ensure that #CareWins sets the stage for legislative wins this year, next year, and beyond. Together, we have the power to create a powerful coalition, driving the transformative theory of change that our shared future demands. Join us in shaping a better tomorrow where care takes center stage.

In addition to Executive Director Holley’s statement, below is a statement from Rohini Kosoglu, Senior Advisor to Care in Action and former Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President

“Care is poised for victory in the upcoming elections, thanks to a winning strategy centered around Care in Action’s powerhouse of over 200 organizers. With a strong focus on engaging the hardest-to-reach Black and brown women voters in crucial battleground states such as Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona, the country is well-positioned to secure the wins necessary to enact the Care Agenda.

Care in Action’s exceptional team of organizers, including more than 50 dedicated domestic workers, brings a unique perspective and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by Black and brown women voters, who have historically been underrepresented and underserved. These organizers play a pivotal role in connecting with voters on a personal level, listening to their concerns, and highlighting the importance of the Care Agenda. Their tireless efforts ensure that the voices of those who have been neglected are heard and that their needs are addressed.”

Care in Action is the policy and advocacy home for women who care, working on behalf of more than two million domestic workers and care workers across America. Among the fastest-growing sectors in our economy, domestic workers are also among the most vulnerable and undervalued. As a mostly women and majority women of color workforce, this growing constituency consistently and overwhelmingly supports progressive values in American political life. Learn more at www.careinaction.us.