April 25, 2023•Advocacy Matters
President Biden Issues Executive Order to Improve Care
President Biden Issues Executive Order to Improve Care
Disability Matters with Joyce Bender
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
#AdvocacyMatters Segment
President Biden Issues Executive Order to Improve Care
On April 18, 2023, President Biden signed an Executive Order to address critical challenges facing care workers and family caregivers in the United States. At its core, the Executive Order directs nearly every cabinet-level agency to find ways to increase the accessibility and affordability of high-quality care and provide support for our direct care workforce and family caregivers. There are over 50 directives to federal agencies in this Executive Order.
The President wants to address the increases in the cost of childcare, which is up 26% over the last decade, and long-term care costs, which are up 40% in the past decade. These costs are a burden on families, particularly women, who often stay out of the workforce to care for a child or family member. On the other side are care workers who struggle to make ends meet while caring for children or people with disabilities.
How will the Executive Order work?
The President directs federal agencies to:
Identify federal grant programs that can support long-term care or childcare for people who work in these programs.
Directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to consider issuing regulations and guidance to improve the quality of home care jobs and to do more to increase staffing standards for nursing homes.
Overall, the order aims to support families in accessing the care they need so that they can participate fully in the workforce and thrive, while also ensuring that individuals receive high-quality, compassionate care as they age or face disabilities.
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Go to disabilityrightspa.org and click on today’s #AdvocacyMatters segment to read more about the Executive Order today.
Links
Fact Sheet on Executive Order
Press Release from the American Association of Persons with Disabilities
https://www.aapd.com/press-releases/aapd-applauds-biden-harris-executive-order-on-the-care-economy/