The Care Economy

As the school year comes to a close and parents everywhere are grappling with how they’ll string together care this summer, the issue is top of mind for many. The care economy—the paid and unpaid labor and services that support caregiving—is central to our livelihoods and communities. Poll after poll (including the audience understanding survey Galvanize Action just fielded) shows that large majorities of women, across parties and segments, say they believe the government has a role in ensuring families have access to care.

Agreement that women caregivers deserve tools, resources, and programs provided by our federal government in order to provide the best care for their children and families

But that support has yet to translate into a demand for action that carries political consequences for elected leaders who fail to deliver. If so many of us want government support on childcare, why don’t we reliably use our civic and political power to demand it? The same can be asked around a host of issues related to care—such as paid family leave, child tax credits, elder care—that are so central to our personal, familial, and economic well-being. What’s holding us back? 

After meeting with issue experts about the challenges they’ve faced in translating this broad support into civic power, we’re conducting new research to explore other factors that may need to be addressed. Up first, we’re examining internalized sexism, the concept of linked fate, and women’s beliefs about the role that government should play in our lives. Audience understanding surveys and new in-depth interviews will give us a pulse check on how our audience feels about childcare and other interwoven gender and economy-based issues. We’ll listen, learn, and then use our findings to craft messages to overcome the barriers that hold us back from achieving progress on these key issues.