While we were glad to see the child benefit of $500 per child under age 17 in the latest stimulus package, on top of $1200 in cash assistance per individual, that payment must be made ongoing rather than one time only.

As the House and Senate negotiate stimulus packages now and in the coming weeks, it is vital that they include measures to put money directly in the hands of unwaged caregivers who are on the frontlines of caring for our families, birthing and caring for children, doing the caring work every day that is essential to the survival of our families, communities, and the planet, through this and every disaster. As family and community caregivers we are the anchors and the lifeboats for our loved ones, children, the elderly those who are impoverished, disabled, in ill physical or mental health. Those of us who are immigrant, and/or Black or Brown, including Indigenous, are at greater risk. Increasingly mothers and our children are a large percentage of the homeless, and mothers are the fastest growing population of people being imprisoned.

If money doesn’t go directly to the primary caregiver, women will be put at even greater risk of domestic violence and will lack the means to escape it.  Studies have shown that primary caregivers getting money directly is the best insurance that the money will benefit the entire family starting with children.  Because unwaged caregivers are not now getting a paycheck does not mean we are not working!

Even as legislation is passed to send checks to people in the US, from what we understand, those who have not filed taxes or don’t have a Social Security number, meaning the most impoverished among us, will get nothing. According to the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, there are 140 million people in the US at or close to the poverty line, and 73% of them are women and our children.

Money for Mothers and our Children Continue reading →

Adapt and post this email to each contact form or email below, and to your own Senators and Reps.
See action alert and background that you can draw on in your letter.

Dear Rep./Senator _________,

I am a [mother/grandmother/unwaged caregiver for….] and am deeply worried that the COVID-19 stimulus bills are not including us, even as we are being counted on to take on the massive work of keeping our families and communities together in the face of a health and economic crisis. Of course we love our families, but love does not pay the rent.  The point is that it is vital that the stimulus proposals include measures to put money directly in the hands of unwaged caregivers such as myself who are on the frontlines, doing caring work every day that is essential to the survival of our families, communities, and the planet, through this and every disaster.  Those who are immigrant, and/or people of color are at greater risk.  And for those of us who are or may become victims of domestic violence we not only need access to shelters, but we urgently need cash assistance to help us and our children get out of danger.

In other western countries, governments pay a non-means tested child benefit or family allowance. We contribute $470 billion or more to the economy, according to AARP. We are working, we are workers, our work keeps all of society functioning.  Where is the money that we and our children deserve? Continue reading →

Personalize and post it together with the graphic, tagging each of the legislators below. Be sure to include the link and hashtags.

.@SpeakerPelosi Our communities’ survival depends on caregivers who are now unwaged during this crisis and beyond. Don’t leave us out of COVID-19 relief packages. Include an ongoing fully refundable child tax credit/child benefit now!  https://bit.ly/CareIncomeNow  #ChildBenefitNow #CareIncomeNow

Continue reading →

Calling on all mothers, other caregivers & supporters to join a Virtual Social Media March on the Capitol 

We demand another COVID‑19 stimulus package that includes money for unwaged caregivers and fully refundable child tax credits!  The House & Senate must stay in session!

Tell them that the work of mothers and other unwaged caregivers caring for children, elders and those who are sick is counted on in this and every crisis, yet getting us the money and other resources we need is not being considered.  For unwaged caregivers not to have access to money of our own drives us and our children deeper into poverty and destitution, and makes us vulnerable to domestic violence. Many of us are also doing low-waged caregiving work in the health care field on top of our unwaged work.

Sample tweet  •  Sample email  •  Background

Call issued by: Global Women’s Strike and Women of Color/GWS
East Coast: 215-848-1120 philly@globalwomenstrike.net
West Coast: 323-276-2833 la@allwomencount.net
or 415-626-4114 sf@allwomencount.net