Folks --

Earlier today, I met with Sarah Johnson, and her 3-year-old son, Noah, at his preschool. She said the program does wonders, helping Noah learn his letters and numbers, socialize with other kids, and develop his personality.

But like so many parents, she’s worried -- about her job as a dental assistant and noticing changes in Noah’s behavior since he hasn’t been in school since March.

She has had to lean on her parents to help. It’s really tough. I bet you feel it too.

Even before the pandemic, millions of working families have faced enormous financial and personal strains trying to raise their kids and care for their parents or loved ones living with a disability.

It’s the sandwich generation that includes everyone from an 18-year-old daughter caring for her mother who suddenly gets sick, to a 40-year-old Dad raising his child and caring for his own aging parents.

The joy and love are always there. But it’s hard. It’s really, really hard.

Families are squeezed emotionally and financially. They need help, but often can’t find it or afford it.

Right now, we are trapped in a caregiving crisis within an economic crisis within a public health crisis. And President Trump has shown time and again he fails the most important test as President -- to care, for you and for all of us. To see people where they are, what they’re going through, and where they want to be.

I understand. I’ve been a single parent. Even though I had more support than a lot people going through tough times, I know how hard it is. When Jill and I got married, I saw how difficult it was for her to resume her teaching career while being a new mom. We cared for our parents to the end, my mom moved in with us, and our entire family cared for our Beau when he died of cancer.

We know what so many of you are going through. While everything just feels different and we’re just not sure if everything will be okay, I’m here to tell you that it can, and it will, be okay.

That’s why today, as the next plank of my Build Back Better plan, I’m announcing a new plan for mobilizing a 21st century care and early education economy to deal with the caregiving crisis in America.

In a moment I’ll explain the details, but first I have to humbly ask: can you make your first donation to power my campaign and build a new caring economy?

This plan is about easing the squeeze on working families that are raising their kids and caring for aging loved ones. And it’s about creating jobs with better pay and career pathways for caregivers, and showing them the dignity and respect they deserve.

Here’s how we’ll do it:

First, let’s start with caring for aging relatives and loved ones with disabilities. We’ll expand access to home and community-based services and support for seniors and people with disabilities through Medicaid. And we’ll help states hire 150,000 community health workers -- real heroes who go into communities and make sure folks are getting the care they need.

Second, we can also make high-quality child care more affordable and accessible. My early childhood education plan is straightforward: Every 3- and 4-year-old child will get access to free, high-quality preschool. Low- to middle-income families won’t spend more than 7% of their income on high-quality child care for children under 5 years old. And the most hard-pressed working families won’t have to spend a dime.

Third, as we expand access to caregiving, we need to pay and support our caregivers. They do God’s work, but home health workers aren’t paid much. They have few benefits. Forty-percent are still on SNAP or Medicaid. So my plan is direct: Give caregivers and early childhood educators a much needed raise and new career pathways, because no one should have to work more than one job to make ends meet. And I will make sure these workers have a choice to join a union and collectively bargain to protect their rights and earned benefits.

It’s a triple-win.

We can do this. The bottom line is that a mobilized caregiving and education workforce would save working families time and money, get their loved ones the care and education they need, and put more people to work.

When we usually talk about a jobs package, there is a big push for shovel-ready jobs. But that’s what care jobs are. These workers are ready now. These jobs can be filled now. Allowing millions of people, primarily women, to get back to work now.

That’s why I need you to help power this campaign. If you can, will you chip in your first $5 today?

Thank you,

Joe