Everyone deserves access to high quality, compassionate care across their lives. We’re working towards a future of expanded access to crucial care for all people, dignity for families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities, and improved labor standards for care workers.
Santa Clara County, along with most of the country, is facing a severe shortage of care workers for both childcare and long term care. Care workers are often underpaid, not provided with full benefits, and not respected for the crucial work they do.
All care work has been deeply shaped by racial capitalism. Household labor and care work has always been racialized and gendered through chattel slavery, also contributing to the perception of care work as unskilled labor, which continues to limit fair compensation and exclude a large number of working people from protections. Care Work is still dominated by women of color and immigrant women. Investing in care workers, particularly through better salaries, and benefits, is a direct way to invest in women of color and their families. It recognizes the value of care work, both in our society and for the economy.
Many care workers left the field as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Workers in Santa Clara County face an additional burden of the high cost of living in the region, which has far outpaced salaries.
We are currently building out a campaign around care work through research and coalition building. We hope to launch something by the end of 2023.
If you have questions, want to get involved, are currently a care worker, or struggling to get necessary care for your family and want to share your story please contact Jaria Jaug at jaria.jaug@wpusa.org.
