Dear Friends and Allies,

At last week's National Domestic Workers' Alliance Dignity Unity Power Summit in Las Vegas, Representative Pramila Jayapal said, "When you think about a big bold idea like Universal Family Care, what you realize is that if everyone puts in just a little bit, we're all better off. But we have to believe that we deserve it!"

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So how do we help people believe they deserve the dignity and peace of mind that comes from knowing you can both care for your loved one and make ends meet? By making care visible and valued. Read on for how the Caring Majority is working this month to make that happen.

- Antonia and all of us at Caring Across



Sign your name to the Universal Family Care Pledge

In the next few months, we'll ask Members of Congress to introduce a congressional resolution that makes the case for Universal Family Care as a path forward for our families, our communities, and our country. The resolution will put forward a bold vision for a comprehensive, integrated, and robust care infrastructure that would cover our need for caregiving support, services and assistance across a lifetime. There's a lot of work to do between now and then, but one immediate and meaningful step you can take is to sign the UFC Pledge to show you're on board.

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Care in Comedy

Comedy is a powerful tool to create cultural change, especially when it comes to care. That's why we've partnered with the comedy incubator the Laughter Lab, who is working to lift up diverse up-and-coming writers and performers who combine comedy with topics that matter. Our Culture Change Director Ishita is serving as a judge on this year's panel, as we continue to help grow the infrastructure for narrative change in Hollywood across a wide range of social justice issues.

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Staffing Update


We are excited to welcome Sade Dozan as our new Senior Development Manager. Sade joins us from Literacy, Inc, and brings a wealth of on-the-job skills, including over 10 years in fundraising strategy and development, as well as personal experience as a Sandwich Generation caregiver. Welcome to the team!


In the Field


At the National Domestic Workers Assembly, our Policy Director Josie got to tell more than a thousand domestic workers about how Universal Family Care can make big change for both professional and family caregivers, and our partners from Michigan Caring Majority and Jane Addams Senior Caucus led a workshop to go deeper into the organizing strategy we need to make that change happen.

The Michigan Caring Majority are fighting to get overtime back pay for direct care workers, who, despite being entitled to it since the Fair Labor Standards Act was amended in 2015, have not received it. Please email Sarah Slocum [ [email protected] ] to sign your organization's name to the letter demanding that Medicaid Director Kate Massey address this racial and economic justice issue, and value care work.

Maine People's Alliance is working to pass a tax credit of up to $2000 to compensate family caregivers for loss of wages and out-of-pocket costs due to caregiving. Sponsored by Rep. Kristen Cloutier of Lewiston, the bill was presented to the taxation committee on February 6th, and is expected to move forward with strong support from a range of coalition partners, including the Maine Center on Economic Policy, Maine Equal Justice, and the Maine Council on Aging.

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Last Thursday, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action joined with the Upgrade Medicaid Campaign and members of the disability community to share care stories and demand action from lawmakers and Governor Kim Reynolds to get profits out of the state's privatized Medicaid program. Read more here.

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On the Hill

The Paid Leave for All coalition, of which we are a member, has been holding hearings and advocacy days on the hill in support of the Family Act and the 25th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act. Our caregiver activist Heather Oglesby, a member of the coalition's Worker Advisory Group, testified earlier this month on the importance of providing comprehensive paid leave to workers caring for their loved ones at every stage of life. Heather, whose job prospects were stunted because she needed flexibility to care for her mother, says "This band aid approach isn't working," for caregivers struggling to care and make ends meet. Here is she hanging out with fellow caregiver Rep. Rosa DeLauro.





ICYMI: In the News

Our Director Ai-jen Poo spoke on The Nation's More Than Enough Podcast, pointing out the false choices we're asked to make when we're asked about the costs of new programs to support caregiving: already, "we are paying in really expensive ways, expensive both emotionally and financially for these things anyway." [ [link removed] ] She also spoke with Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper [ [link removed] ] on care as a growing political issue, and at yesterday's Washington Post Live Working Families Summit on Universal Family Care as a solution to our outdated care infrastructure. [ [link removed] ]



OZY profiled our Director of Policy and Federal Programs, Josephine Kalipeni, as part of their Aging With Race series exploring how Black Americans are experiencing and seeking solutions around elder care in their communities and more broadly. Josephine speaks from personal experience of creating a patchwork of care to meet her family's needs, and how her own experience informs her advocacy around Universal Family Care.

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Caring Across members Risa Morimoto, Alexis Baden-Mayer, and Femi Fletcher were all featured in this Wall Street Journal piece on the Sandwich Generation, detailing the sacrifices they've all had to make to be there for their loved ones, and outlining where they need solutions. The piece also includes insights from our recent report on Sandwich Generation Caregivers with the National Alliance for Caregiving.

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Finally, check out Ai-jen's new podcast Sunstorm, co-hosted with Black Lives Matter and NDWA leader Alicia Garza. Tune in Tuesdays to hear them chat with influential women about how to stay powerful and joyful amidst the chaos of life in America today.

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We're Hiring!

As we ramp up for a big year year towards transforming the way we care in this country, we're ramping up our team and hiring a Media Relations Manager. Check out the description for more info, and please help us spread the word and/or connect us with someone you know by emailing [email protected].

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Share this link to spread the word, and if you have suggestions/questions/kudos, just hit reply.

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