Caregiving Crisis: The Great Indignation
This news cycle is too much. Resignations are tied to care work, childcare costs hit $10k, and kids didn't ask for snacks at a White House panel on childcare.
This issue is sponsored by CareForce: the driving force in reimagining how we care. Bringing together builders, storytellers, funders and leaders to create the infrastructure of care we all need for the 21st century. Learn more here.
Hey everyone,
It will surprise absolutely no one to learn that I had a picture of Peter Jennings in my locker in high school.
As far back as I can remember, I have been obsessed with the news. But this obsession (my dream job was to pick out Peter Jennings’ ties to anchor the news?! oh youth) does not dull me to the pain that is happening now.
Though we have had seemingly years of bad news, this week really seems to be turning a corner into…some dark stuff. It’s hard to put into words the sadness, anger and confusion all around. This is a newsletter focused on caregiving, but we’re going to widen the scope today…before we narrow it back down… because we are all absorbing and living with these headlines from just this week:
The people of Ukraine woke up to an invasion of their country by Russia. As Axios succinctly put it: “Two sovereign nations are in a conventional war in Europe for the first time since World War II, with huge ramifications for the power dynamics of Russia and the superpowers, the U.S. and China.” Imagine being an average citizen, waking up to attacks and fleeing to a subway shelter with your family not knowing when or how you will leave. (Difficult, but worthwhile to watch CNN interview. And great context from the New Yorker.)
And in Texas, the rights of trans kids and their families are under attack. Gov. Greg Abbott and his attorney general have said gender-affirming medical care for trans kids is child abuse. The state is asking citizens to report parents of transgender kids receiving this care. Imagine fearing criminal charges for getting your child medical care.
And across the U.S., a report said new mothers, especially Black and brown ones, are dying at alarming rates… in a country that was already among the world’s worst for maternal mortality. The number of maternal deaths in the U.S. rose 14% in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. The mortality rate for Black women was nearly three times that of white women. Covid-19 contributed to the rise, researchers say, but so did America's lack of respect for moms and swift dismissal of women's medical complaints, especially for Black and brown women. Imagine knowing something is wrong but not having anyone listen to you.1
And 3.7 million more kids were in poverty in January in the U.S. because the child tax credit elapsed. (More on that below.)
That’s just this week. And that’s on top of all the other topsy-turvy news we keep seeing, with women at the bottom. The latest U.S. jobs report shows 1 million men rejoined the workforce in January… but just 39,000 women did.
Meanwhile, headlines about The Great Resignation keep flying around, making it seem like a choice. Workers are “like rats in a cage,”2 an NYU sociologist professor tells MarketWatch, and they’re walking away. But don’t assume it’s about worker choice, writes Meg Conley in Harper's Bazaar. It's really about care work, and she's relabeling it "a Great Caretaker Resignation. It feels new, but it’s not."
But after this week? With everything going on? I’m starting to think we should call all of this The Great Indignation. At first I was super into word play with ‘resignation’. But the definition makes a lot of sense:
This is a long, slow, march we are on against things that are unjust, unworthy or mean. There is so much unfairness right now. And we are so tired.
This is a tough week. I see you. I hear you.
Thanks, as always, for being here. This week we learn about action to right some of these unfairnesses (I made that up and I’m keeping it) in Maryland, with efforts to advance paid leave. And of course, more headlines. Please message me if you want to vent or share how you’re feeling indignant. Our next monthly installment will drop March 25th. Hang in there and see you soon.
What To Know About the Caregiving Crisis This Week
Eds Note: We normally get right into headlines, but we’ve got an interview and hey, let’s break up all the terrible headlines, eh?
Q&A: MARYLAND’S PUSH FOR PAID FAMILY LEAVE — State legislatures are considering paid family leave bills while Congress bickers. We (ok that’s the royal ‘we’) spoke with Myles Hicks, executive director of Maryland Rise, which is behind the movement to pass the state’s Time to Care Act. This work is important, he says, and can serve as a floor for more and better infrastructure around the nation. Responses have been condensed and edited.
CC: Explain the 'Time to Care Act’ and why now?
MH: The act proposes 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, for people to take time off for a family member, themselves, a new family member or military deployment. The bill would replace wages up to $1,000 a week. It is funded by employers and employees, with a 50/50 split. The system would be run by the state. The bill is in its fourth iteration, and has failed three times for various reasons, including Covid-19 curbing the General Assembly session. It also wasn’t a priority of leadership, unfortunately. Their main focus was Covid recovery… even though this is a bill that would help people recover. Hopefully this is a priority to pass this year.
CC: How does it fit in with other offerings around the U.S. and how can these state laws help each other?
MH: Every state has its own nuances and caveats for paid family leave (if they have one). California’s has been around so long, their program evolves. In D.C., their systems are 100% employer funded. Washington State is 50/50. New Jersey started as employee-only funded. It’s really what works best for those states and those nuances that people can agree upon. You have the business community, advocates, unions, non-profits… you have a lot of people in the mix. It all depends. One thing we can say is we have to look at all the systems and learn from each one. I think that’s the whole goal.
This has to be seen as a floor. If we’re the next one and we can do it, we should set a standard. We can just do better. Each state that does pass a piece of legislation, you are setting a standard that can help the residents of your state but later down the line could impact the life of someone in Montana. You never know who is watching. Delaware, Virginia, they’re watching now. It’s a step forward.
CC: What are the arguments against the bill and how are you trying to change minds?
MH: There are arguments this is going to affect business’ bottom line. It’s a very fair statement. We are asking employers to pay into the system, but we’re not just asking you, we’re asking your employees.
We have businesses who are signed onto our coalition, medium and large business, so we get to hear from their perspectives, having them share their stories and write op-eds, saying my employee quit on me suddenly because he didn’t feel comfortable sharing his medical issues. Paid leave makes people competitive. Small businesses tell us they can’t afford the benefits of large companies because of the cost. So having the state run this program would be helpful for them and make them more competitive with candidates.
You don’t find many business communities across the nation that support passage of this legislation. It’s not unheard of to have a Chamber of Commerce and others in opposition. It is fair for them to make those statements but it is our job to say this is also what we’re hearing, showing them the other side and stories to show people do need the support and it does support business owners.
CC: What would this bill mean if it passes? For Maryland? For the U.S.?
MH: What it means is that starting next couple of years, Marylanders aren’t going to have to choose between caring for their family members and their jobs. It means a lot of work around education, about letting people know this benefit exists, work at the state level, with HR departments… even as we celebrate being added to a list of states with paid leave. If I don’t see it I don’t believe it. Once we get it passed, then that’s when I’m going to smile.
CC: Talk about prospects for national leave. Will momentum in state laws spur national change?
MH: Even if federal legislation does come about, the big thing is to view that as the floor made whole. It will be the job of states to do more. If we get this passed in Maryland, that’s great. But this is something that the U.S. is behind on. You look at Europe, all those countries have paid family leave. As a nation we are behind. If we can do it as a state, that’s great. It gives us a leg up, but there’s a lot of slack to be picked up across the nation.
CC: You’re hurrying… what’s the timing?
MH: We have until April 10. And we’re in a tricky situation because the governor is at the end of his term, so we have to be ready for a veto… and come back and get an override during the session. There’s no special session this year.
Bottom line: I asked Myles to sum it all up with a gif. He said this one expresses that the time is now.
NEWS WATCH: ROUNDUP — Keeping tabs on legislation, regulation and conversation:
AVERAGE ANNUAL CHILDCARE COST NOW TOPS $10K — A new report from Child Care Aware says the national average cost of child care in 2020 was $10,174. That's 10% of the median income for a married couple, and more than 35% of the median income for a single parent, CNBC reports. The costs are outpacing inflation by more than 3%, so dollars have to stretch further. And this is if you can even GET childcare, given all the closures and staffing shortages, because of COVID-19 and years of low wages.
WHITE HOUSE WATCHES KIDS FOR AN HOUR — The Biden Administration, still trying to rally support for portions of its Build Back Better plan, met with parents about child care this week. HHS Secretary Xavier Bercerra, Gender Policy Council Director Jen Klein and others spoke to families for an hour about the "need to cut the crushing child care costs families face" per the WH summary. (No media coverage, of course. But this peace accord reached for possession of a T-rex looks important.)
At one point, the families were asked what it would mean to have affordable childcare. A mom said it would alleviate stress, allow her husband to work a job and a shift he wanted, and create more family time. She summed it up: "It would help the entire ecosystem of our family."👏 (Sidebar: AMAZED that none of these children is screaming for a snack. Parents, tell me your secret!)
BOSTON TO SET UP CHILDCARE HUB — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s new Office of Early Childhood will be a "one-stop shop" for child care and early education services and supports, reports Boston.com. The city's first woman mayor (bless) says child care providers and early educators are not "set up to be the publicists or marketers" for their services, and she wants families to know they will be able to find the support they need.
ROMNEY’S TAX CREDIT (DON’T GET EXCITED) AND JOBS — A child tax credit two-fer:
Sen. Mitt Romney has been pushing for a "Republican-friendly" version of the expanded child tax credit that some say could gain bipartisan support... but it would have a work requirement and "slash programs" like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. NBC reports the plan by the Utah Republican is "already getting a chilly reception from advocates and House Democrats." Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D.-Conn, a major force behind the child tax credits that Congress let lapse, says work requirements would be punitive to single parents in pricier cities who may struggle to work and pay for child care.
Families receiving the money last year not only kept their jobs, (despite critics’ fears), they had more flexibility and security to launch their own businesses and nonprofits, CNBC reports. Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, using Census data, found employment did not change for families across all income levels that received the credits.
There were also slight increases in parent self-employment and nonprofit work. Self-employment rose the most — nearly 3% — in families making less than $50,000, and was most prominent of Black, Hispanic and Asian families in that category.
FAMILY CAREGIVERS: FINANCIALLY SCREWED — Wall Street Journal wins for saddest, most ironic caregiving headline of the year so far:
The WSJ paints a tragic tick-tock of Amy Goyer, who straddled caring for her aging parents in Arizona while she lived in Washington, moved to be with them, moved them home with her, quit her full-time job, and incurred $120,000 of credit card debt over a decade. She now has no savings and battered credit.
“I made my choices and did my best for my parents,” she said. “If it can happen to me, it could happen to anyone.”
The 53 million family caregivers in the U.S. provide an estimated $470 billion worth of free care a year, the story says, making them "the backbone of the nation's long-term care system." The care comes at great personal expense. An AARP study says caregivers spend 26% of their personal income on caregiving expenses like home modifications. (That's what a mortgage should be.) And one-third of caregivers use their personal savings, and 12% borrow from family and friends.
Bottom line: Tales like Goyer’s are terrifying, showing how caregivers are squeezed throughout their lives…taking care of kids and their parents. How can women ever get ahead? The Boston childcare hub could be an amazing national model. And clearly the child tax credits had benefits beyond cash to families…::knock knock::… uh oh…
Oh no. Caregiving Crisis Foremost Economist Blanche Devereaux is busting in and that can only mean terrible data. She really loves drama…
3.7 MILLION MORE KIDS IN POVERTY TO START 2022 — As researchers expected, poverty rates among children rose in January after the monthly child tax credit elapsed. For context - remember that when the direct payments were being considered, Columbia University researchers garnered a lot of attention for saying child poverty rates would be halved, and much of the benefit would go to Black and brown families. The payments have come and gone, so the researchers looked again: they found the monthly child poverty rate rose to 17% in January 2022 from 12.1% the prior month. That's a 41% increase if you want to get all mathy about it. A total of 12.6 million kids in poverty. And Latino and Black children had the highest increases, 7.1 percentage points and 5.9 percentage points, respectively.
This chart shows how two years of various types of payments since the start of the pandemic helped alleviate child poverty... and how the monthly child tax credit (CTC) dropped it the most. Buuuuut, we know how that ends.
Other countries take care of their kids. Why is the U.S. "so stingy in fighting child poverty?" asks a Planet Money/NPR article. It argues we "consistently skimp" on the young for a major reason: "American policymakers, influenced by economists, have dwelled much more on the costs of social programs than their benefits." A new paper says this is because social programs aimed at kids are investments… but they take years to measure; the federal government doesn't take into account long-term benefits like gains in schooling, health and other aspects of wellbeing.
Bottom line: We have traded $300 a month payments for millions of children and families suffering. Bernie sums it up well, going right after Sen. Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat who many blame for the credit’s lapse. (Business Insider)
Signing off
Thanks, as always, for reading. Please send feedback, snack hacks, beloved word definitions. If you found value in Caregiving Crisis, please share with a friend. See you soon.
Caregiving Crisis is a newsletter written by Emily Fredrix Goodman. We aim to publish monthly but other things may get in the way.
I still sometimes think about Serena Williams’ terrifying post-birth medical drama… she had to force doctors to realize she was having a pulmonary embolism. And she has become outspoken about the U.S.’ sad level of maternal care.
Here’s Smashing Pumpkins because I know it’s in your head too. 🧛♀️🦋