FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2023
Contact: Christina Coleman christinacoleman@domesticworkers.org, prerana@ellecomm.com
The week was punctuated by a White House Executive Order, a Town Hall with Senator Bernie Sanders and a summit bringing together people from across the industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week marked an unprecedented movement towards a just and equitable care economy, as hundreds of family caregivers, people with disabilities, older adults and early childhood and long-term care workers gathered in Washington, D.C. to sound the alarm on the care crisis and chart a path forward. The week was underscored by the signing of the Biden-Harris Administration’s set of executive actions to improve care affordability and care jobs, as well as the first-ever Care Worker’s Can’t Wait Summit and a town hall meeting with Senator Bernie Sanders. Links to images and video from the events below.
Here is a more comprehensive look at the week’s activities:
“We are the child care, early childhood, nursing home, personal care, and home care workers of America,” said National Domestic Workers Alliance President Ai-jen Poo in her opening remarks. “We stand on the shoulders of domestic workers and home care workers like Dorothy Bolden who were explicitly excluded from the labor rights of the new deal, and yet whose courageous organizing, and refusal to sit at the back of the bus powered a national movement for civil rights. Our organizations were never meant to exist, let alone be powerful. But look at us now. I don’t know about you, but I want to do something big with the power we’ve built. That’s what the next two days are all about.”
“Yesterday, we witnessed history,” said National Domestic Workers Alliance Executive Director Jenn Stowe on Day 2 of the Summit. “We witnessed President Biden – alongside people with disabilities, family caregivers, long-term care workers, early educators, veterans, and aging advocates – announce the most comprehensive set of executive actions any President has ever taken to make care more affordable and accessible for hard-working families while supporting care workers and family caregivers. The Executive Order will make care more affordable, enhance job quality for care workers, provide greater support for family caregivers, and advance domestic workers’ rights. This was your victory. This was workers standing in our power, demanding dignity and respect, from the White House to the U.S. Capitol!”
The Care Workers Can’t Wait Summit and the Biden-Harris Administration’s executive actions come on the heels of the White House proclamation designating the month of April as Care Workers Recognition Month. Ai-jen Poo, Jenn Stowe, and The National Domestic Workers Alliance partners and care workers are available for interviews to discuss their efforts to strengthen the care economy and the implications of the Administration’s care investment commitments.
MEDIA RESOURCES:
Ai-jen Poo, President, and Jenn Stowe, Executive Director, are available for interviews upon request. For interview inquiries or if you’d like to learn more about the Care Workers Can’t Wait Summit, please email christinacoleman@domesticworkers.org and prerana@ellecomm.com.
