Every single one of us needs time away from work to deal with the moments that matter in our families. Every one of us will need to give and receive care in our lifetimes—and yet when the pandemic hit, more than 33 million workers in America did not have access to a single paid sick day and 113 million did not have access to a single day of paid family and medical leave. The United States is one of the only countries in the world without any sort of paid leave policy and the need has never been greater. While caregiving is a shared human experience touching every working family in this country, the responsibilities and cost of caregiving fall disproportionately on women, people of color, and low-wage workers. Paid leave addresses our public health, economic security, and racial and gender inequities, all heightened in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In partnership with PL+US, we are launching the #WhyICare digital campaign to showcase the caregiving stories of elected officials. Families are the backbone of our country and our daily lives, and family should always come first.