Originally published by The 19th
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden doubled down on his support for care workers, family caregivers and advocates on Tuesday, recommitting to previous promises to bring back the child tax credit, increase child care funding and bolster staffing in nursing homes.
“Care workers represent the best of who we are in America. We look out for one another in America. We leave nobody behind,” Biden said.
Biden spoke Tuesday at an event at Union Station hosted by Care Can’t Wait Action, a diverse coalition of organizations representing family caregivers, unions representing care workers and organizations concerned with disability, child care and aging. Organizers estimated 272 people attended the lunchtime speech.
Biden’s appearance takes place almost a year after he issued a sweeping executive order directing federal agencies to work to lower the cost of child care and improve long-term care for people with disabilities and older adults.
In his speech, the president noted that the majority of care workers are women, particularly women of color. He also noted that women “bore the brunt” of the COVID-19 recession, when millions of American women left the workforce.
“As your president I have a simple message: I give my word. I have your back,” he said.
The president touted his successes, like funding for home and community-based care in the American Rescue Plan, as well as promises he has not yet delivered on, such as bringing back the child tax credit. The credit provided monthly payments to parents and is associated with reduced rates of poverty and hunger for approximately 61 million children and their families. It lapsed in 2022, and a lack of Republican support has stalled its return.
“Our Republican friends let [the child tax credit] expire. We need to expire a couple of them politically in order to get this passed,” he joked.
Biden also promised to pass a rule to create minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes, a regulatory change that would occur through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and which would not require congressional action.
Biden first announced his intention to do so two years ago during the State of the Union, and in September, the administration released a draft rule that would be the most significant change to federal nursing home regulations since they were first established in the 1970s. It has not yet been finalized.
Crystal Gail Crawford, 38, is a former nanny from Atlanta who introduced the president before he went on stage, calling him the “care champion in chief.”
Crawford, a public speaker who works with the National Domestic Workers Alliance, cared for other people’s children for most of her adult working life. However, an injury from a car accident forced her to pursue less physically demanding work. While she recovered, she moved back home with her parents and became intimate with what it is like to need care herself.
Crawford felt that the president’s speech was an “on-time message.”
“We’re getting ready for an election year. People need to feel secure. They need to know [President Biden does] actually care about care,” she told The 19th. “We should all care about care during this campaign.”
Sylvia Liang, 66, is a family caregiver from Seattle who is able to get paid for some of her work through the state’s individual provider program and Medicaid. Her son, Brian, is 35 and has autism. He lives with her, and she provides him with 24/7 support, for which the state pays her for 84 hours per month. Liang is also a member of SEIU.
At the beginning of Biden’s speech, he shared his own struggles with caregiving. He talked about the death of his wife and daughter over 50 years ago, and how he worried about how he would care for his two sons while in Congress. His story resonated with Liang.
“He spoke from his heart, and he shared his personal story with us. Besides being the leader of our country, our president, he’s also one of us,” Liang said.
Liang’s work allows her son to live a full, active life. She helps him manage his finances, get to and from work and participate in activities he cares about. Brian is employed for a few hours a week at a big box clothing store, competes in the Special Olympics and is taking drama classes. Liang used to cook for him, but he’s recently become enthusiastic about cooking for himself.
“It’s a good sign. It means he’s still growing and maturing,” Liang said.
Liang also said she was pleased that families like hers were important enough to be addressed by the president of the United States.
“I quit my job when my son was 6 years old because I couldn’t find anyone to help me to care for him. I took care of my son. And today he’s a happy, healthy young man. He is part of our community. He contributes to our community and society. He is wonderful, and I just love him. And I thank President Biden for even recognizing us and understanding our needs. I’m grateful,” she said.
Crystal Barksdale, 48, is an early child care provider from Windsor Mill, Maryland. She owns and operates Miss Crystal’s Little Rugrats, which cares for up to 12 children between the ages of six months and five years. She has been a member of SEIU for over a decade. She loves her job, but she doesn’t love the financial struggles that come with it.
“It’s fun. It’s very fulfilling. It keeps you young. You wear many hats. You’re a therapist. You’re a social worker. You are Mom and Dad when they’re not there. When the children are in your care, those are your children,” Barksdale told The 19th.
Biden’s comments about child care funding resonated with her. He discussed his most recent budget, in which he asked Congress for a $500 million increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, which helps states raise child care provider wages and lower the cost of child care for low-income families.
“For working families with small children, we’re going to guarantee affordable, quality child care. Under our plan, most families will pay less than $10 a day per child, saving millions of folks as much as $7,000 a year. That’s a lot of breathing room for young families who need it badly,” Biden said.
The president’s budget is not usually taken up entirely by Congress, if at all. It is, however, a statement of the president’s priorities.
“The things he was speaking on are things that needed to happen yesterday. So I was glad to hear that early education and affordable child care are on his agenda,” Barksdale said.