Maine’s ballot campaign has drawn support from an array of national groups, including the Caring Across Generations campaign, which is co-led by Jobs With Justice and the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA).
NDWA Executive Director Ai-Jen Poo said in an interview that the Maine model could be a “blueprint for the nation” as we grapple with the aging of the U.S. population. “Some call this demographic change a ‘silver tsunami,’” Poo said. “At Caring Across Generations, we call it an ‘elder boom’ because of the opportunity it affords to fundamentally reform our care system in a way that’s long overdue.”
Earlier this year, the Caring Across Generations campaign had a major breakthrough in Hawaii, where state lawmakers approved the nation’s first law to provide financial support to working family caregivers, no matter their income. “The Maine campaign for universal in-home care could be the next big thing in the care movement,” Poo said.
One of the key long-term goals of the Caring Across Generations campaign is universal family care. Through a state-based social insurance fund, families would receive support not only for home care for the elderly, but also child care and paid family medical leave. According to the campaign web site, “Our families deserve the care we need to live full and healthy lives, whether we’re caring for an infant or child, a loved one with a disability, or an aging parent.”
If Maine activists manage to get their universal home care proposal passed by voters in November 2018, it would be a significant step towards extending affordable caregiving across the age spectrum.