John,

With schools closed, nursing homes ravaged, and families pushed to the brink by COVID, we all saw how caregiving is as critical to our economy as building and repairing roads and bridges. People can’t work when they’re worried about the people they love and care for.

The American Families Plan (AFP), which President Biden introduced last month, supports caregiving families in two important ways: by making childcare and early education affordable for working families, and by providing comprehensive paid family and medical leave so we can all afford to take time off to care for our loved ones.

Congress will begin debating the AFP in the next few weeks. We need to show our support NOW to ensure that caregivers aren’t left out of the final bill.

Will you add your name to our petition calling on Congress to support caregiving families in the AFP?

The AFP, together with the American Jobs Plan (AJP) President Biden proposed in March, will reshape the way we care for our families. The AJP will clear states’ home care waiting lists by hiring thousands of new care workers, and raising their wages, so that family caregivers and people who need care can receive care in their homes and communities. And AFP makes it so families don’t have to choose between caregiving and paying the bills, by making it easier to take time off to care.

These plans are important because they finally recognize that care is infrastructure. Together, the AJP and AFP — if passed — will begin to dramatically and fundamentally change the notion from care as an individual burden to a collective responsibility.

We know that it’s hard — and often almost impossible — to put in a full day’s work when we’re also providing care for a loved one.

That’s why we need the AFP and AJP. We can’t #BuildBackBetter without care. If we (and our elected leaders) are committed to rebuilding our economy, Congress needs to take caregiving seriously and put caregiving at the front of the agenda, not as an afterthought.

Will you add your name to our petition urging Congress to support caregiving families and pass the AFP?

Add your name today.

With care,

Beth Shipp, Managing Director
Caring Across Generations