Speaking before a crowd at the Care Can’t Wait rally in Washington, DC, home care provider Sabrina Bishop from San Diego County shared her care story. She talked about her experience caring for her client Mike and urged on President Biden and other lawmakers to take action and ensure care work in our nation is funded so that those in need of care have access and those who give care are paid a thriving wave and treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
Sabrina told the crowd, filled with hundreds of care workers, lawmakers, and community leaders, that she knows the fight will not be easy, but that she will continue to give it her all.
“I’m going put on my tennis shoes, put on my green shirt and fight for what is right because Care Can’t Wait!” She said.
After, President Biden took the stage, promising “I have your back,” and adding that care workers are critical to the economy. “We’ve made progress, but there’s so much more to do. If we want the best economy in the world, we need the best care-giving economy in the world. The cost of care is too high and pay for care workers is much too low,” he said.
The rally was only the start of a week filled with action! Members continued their week in D.C. by meeting with lawmakers to discuss issues affecting both home care and family child care providers, not just in California, but around the nation and some of the ways we can go about addressing them.
Imperial County child care provider, Gabriela Guerrero, explained to Senator Bernie Sanders just how important our union has been to her and other child care providers in California, how it has lead to us winning higher wages and benefits., and how we can empower other providers around the nation find the same success.
Senator Sanders proudly acknowledged the importance of child care providers within our communities and our nation. He acknowledged the crucial role we play in our economy and that our work has historically come with sacrifices, like those we made throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and he vowed to keep fighting to reform the child care system in the US.
We also had the opportunity to share our stories with Congresswoman Katherine Clark, Senators Bob Casey, Elizabeth Warren, and Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, before spending the day visiting the offices of Congressmen Raul Ruiz, Juan Vargas, and Senator Alex Padilla.
The trip week wrapped up with our very own Donise Keller speaking on the struggles child care providers in California face, how it impacts the families we serve, and why it’s so critical lawmakers invest in care.
At the end of the day, we made sure that our stories and our voices continue to reverberate in the minds of our lawmakers as we continue to fight for the future all care and child care providers, our families, and our communities deserve—and we’ll keep going back until we see that future come true.
On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, we united at a Rally at Washington’s Union Station organized by the AFSCME-backed advocacy organization Care Can’t Wait Action. President Joe Biden expressed his unconditional support to our hardworking care givers.
Biden said, “I give you my word — I have your back! Care workers and care givers are critical to our families and the entire economy. That’s why as a candidate and as president, I was determined to turn things around. We’ve made progress, but there’s so much more to do. If we want the best economy in the world, we need the best care-giving economy in the world. The cost of care is too high and pay for care workers is much too low.”
Biden, understands and acknowledges our ongoing battles and knows that care really can’t wait. We need action and we need it now!
