On March 31, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation recognizing April as Care Workers Recognition Month, honoring the crucial work of millions of care workers across the country. The proclamation highlights the important role that care workers play in the lives of millions of Americans by raising children, supporting seniors and people with disabilities, and allowing others to earn a living while their loved ones are safe and secure.
The proclamation also acknowledges the challenges faced by care workers, including low wages, limited benefits, and the high risk of exposure to COVID-19 while working. Women and people of color make up the majority of the care workforce, and their underpayment further deepens gender and racial wealth gaps in America.
“My message this month to care workers across America is simple: The work you do matters,” said President Biden in the proclamation. “You are there for families when they need you most – providing comfort, strength, and compassion that inspire us all.”
The proclamation also highlights the administration’s efforts to support care workers, including the recent investment of over $39 billion from the American Rescue Plan to help child care providers stay open and to provide child care workers with higher pay, bonuses, and other benefits. The administration’s budget proposal also includes $600 billion over ten years to expand access to high-quality child care and free, high-quality preschool, which would allow states to increase pay for child care workers and help families afford child care.
Additionally, the president’s budget calls for investing $150 billion over the next decade to improve and expand Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), which would support family caregivers and improve the quality of jobs for home care workers. The proclamation also calls for promoting the use of apprenticeship programs to train and retain long-term care workers while helping them advance their careers.
“I call upon all Americans to celebrate the contributions of care workers to our nation with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs,” said President Biden in the proclamation.
The proclamation acknowledges that the work of care workers is the work that makes all other work possible and that they deserve recognition and support. It emphasizes the administration’s commitment to improving the conditions and compensation of care workers, recognizing their essential contribution to the nation’s economy and society.
By Noah Block at ANCOR
