For more than 30 years, Maria Elena Milling has opened her home to the children and working families of Oxnard. Like many mothers in her community, she wanted someone she could trust, someone she could rely on, and most importantly an environment where her daughter felt loved and excited to learn.
When I arrived in Chicago as an elected UDW delegate to the 47th AFSCME International Convention, I carried more than a delegate badge. I carried my experience as an IHSS provider, a mother, an advocate and a UDW member from San Diego.
On Tuesday, August 11, child care providers across Oxnard, Sacramento, and Riverside showed what union power looks like. We rallied, we spoke out, and we delivered one message loud and clear:
DON’T FORCE US TO CLOSE OUR DOORS!
Yesterday, we stood alongside community members and advocates outside Rep. David Valadao’s Bakersfield office to call on Congress to reverse the largest health care cuts in U.S. history — cuts Valadao voted for in order to fund tax cuts for the ultra‑rich. On the 61st anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, we gathered not to celebrate, but to demand protection for programs that keep millions of families healthy, stable, and out of poverty.
This month we’re celebrating Disability Pride Month, sharing new education opportunities for you and your family, and taking action to protect care work!
When we vote, we decide who holds power. When we campaign, we build the movement. But the most powerful thing a care worker can do goes beyond the ballot — it’s getting on it.
This month, we reflect on the outcomes of the primary election, honor Pride Month, and continue strengthening our collective power through active engagement in our union!
Shikha Bansal’s caregiving journey is shaped by devotion, sacrifice, and a deep belief in her daughter’s potential. A San Diego County resident for more than 11 years, Shikha began her path as an IHSS provider in January 2025. While her time as a provider is relatively recent, the care she gives is rooted in years of lived experience as a parent and advocate.
This month, we’re celebrating Autism Awareness Month, preparing for the upcoming primary election in June, and making our voices heard to ensure care is prioritized!
California lawmakers are once again targeting the IHSS program to fix the budget deficit. With federal cuts looming, they’re preparing to balance the budget on the backs of home care providers and the people we care for.
We cannot allow this to happen!
For Gary, Bakersfield has always been home. It’s where he went to school, built his career, and now raises his youngest son, Edward. Edward is 11 years old, non‑verbal, autistic, and full of life. Before becoming his full-time caregiver, Gary worked in fabrication and security. His life was straightforward then; clock in, clock out, go home. But when Gary realized his son needed more support, he stepped into a role he never expected but fully embraced.
When Laura moved from Uruapan, Michoacán to Bakersfield 22 years ago, she was looking for a place where she could build a life for herself and her family. “We had spent years visiting the U.S., crossing through Tijuana with our visas, so when it came time to move for good, the transition felt natural for me and my family” she says. She didn’t know then that Bakersfield would become the heart of her caregiving journey.
When Rachel Terry talks about voting, she speaks as someone who has felt its impact firsthand. At 55, as a Black woman, a longtime caregiver, and a leader in her union’s political council, she sees voting as a direct connection between the struggles of her ancestors, the survival of her family, and the future of the care workers she stands beside.
The Quiet Isolation of Autism Families is a personal reflection by Shikha Bansal, a home care provider in San Diego
This month, we’re celebrating Women’s History Month and recognizing the power of collective action, care, and leadership!
In 1996, Samsam arrived in the United States from Somalia, bringing with her a deep sense of family, resilience, and care that would eventually shape her life’s work. Like many immigrant mothers, she leaned on her family as she worked to build a new future. Growing up in a large, close‑knit household, she spent years helping her sisters care for their children while raising her own son.
March is Women’s History Month, and as a union made up mostly of women, every year we celebrate and uplift
As home care and family child care providers, we know what it means to hold California together. We help seniors
San Diego is home to one of the nation’s largest Somali communities, and UDW proudly represents all immigrant care workers
UDW is aware of ongoing harassment and intimidation by right-wing extremists who are spreading fear and targeting Somali family child
Happy New Year! Each month, we’ll bring you union news, member stories, and ways to take action.
