WASHINGTON, D.C. — Across America, families are facing a growing caregiving crisis as they struggle to find affordable in-home care for children and aging loved ones. At the same time, many Americans—particularly students—are looking for affordable housing and meaningful, flexible opportunities that fit their lives.
Today, Independent Women’s Voice unveiled “The American Caregivers Act,” a federal and state legislative model that builds upon the success of the decades-old au pair program, adapting the same proven framework into a domestic caregiving model that expands access to senior care.
Carrie Lukas, executive vice president of Independent Women’s Voice, said: “There is a tremendous and growing need for caregiving in the United States, especially as our society ages. Policymakers should be finding innovative ways to encourage a diversity of services. This American Caregivers approach is just that. It’s not a new government program and would cost taxpayers nothing. It would simply help connect people who would benefit from live-in care and companionship with caregivers who want room and board as a part of their compensation.”
View the federal model here.
View the state model here.
The American Caregivers Act creates a new pathway that connects caregivers with families through vetted sponsoring organizations, making it easier to access safe, affordable, in-home care while creating new opportunities for American students interested in providing meaningful support to seniors.
Heather Madden, vice president for policy initiatives at Independent Women, said: “Too many seniors fall into a missed middle in our current elder-care system. They don’t need skilled nursing or substantial hands-on assistance, but they may need help with meals, transportation, errands, household tasks or simply having someone around for companionship. For these seniors, existing options are often neither affordable nor accessible. The American Caregivers Act would help fill that gap, giving more seniors the option to age in place, and could help reduce the number who ultimately turn to more costly, taxpayer-funded institutional care through Medicaid.”
Beth Parlato, senior legal counsel for Independent Women’s Law Center, said: “We are proud to introduce the American Caregivers Act, a practical, innovative solution to one of the most pressing challenges facing American families. By removing regulatory barriers that make it harder for families to find affordable care, this model gives families greater freedom to choose the care that works for them while creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation of caregivers. Rather than creating another government program, it offers a commonsense approach that empowers families and expands options for seniors who want to remain in their own homes.”
Participants gain access to a structured program focused on education, training, and skill development, as well as room, board, and a safe living environment provided by their host household, all while having the flexibility of a stipend rather than a traditional hourly wage.
Independent Women’s Voice’s American Caregivers Act model legislation expands access to affordable, flexible, in-home care, supports family choice and aging in place, builds a domestic caregiving pipeline through structured training, reduces reliance on costly institutional care and publicly funded programs, and leverages a proven model, bringing the success of the au pair program to a broader caregiving context.
In an op-ed published in the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) Magazine, Heather Madden wrote:
“In-home care—which most seniors strongly prefer—is becoming harder to access. Full-time support can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year, and even part-time help is often out of reach. To make things worse, rigid regulations have made it more difficult for families to find options that fit their needs.
“As a result, families face impossible tradeoffs and are often forced into undesirable choices. Some leave the workforce. Others piece together off-the-books arrangements that lack legal protection and leave both families and caretakers vulnerable. Still others turn to institutional care—not because they think it’s the best option, but because it’s the only one available.”
Earlier this year, Independent Women and AMAC announced the launch of a collaborative project, “Aging at Home. Living with Dignity.” The ongoing, multi-layer strategic partnership is designed to elevate real-life senior caregiving experiences and build demand for home-care freedom for seniors and advance policy reforms that expand freedom and choice to make aging in place within reach for every family.
See below to learn more about Independent Women’s established work to make caregiving more accessible and flexible:
- Aging at Home Should Be Possible: Share Your Story | Independent Women’s Voice
- 60 Seconds: The American Caregivers Act | Independent Women’s Voice
- We Need a Real Path Forward for America’s Aging Population | AMAC Magazine
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