Nearly 2.5 million people do some form of domestic work in the United States alone.
They arenanniesfor small children, and they care for aging loved ones.
I think what the COVID crisis has revealed is that care is essential, Poo tells SELF.
Courtesy of the National Domestic Workers Alliance
Its almost fundamental infrastructure.
For six months, more than half of these workers could not afford to pay their rent or mortgage.
SELF: First, I just wanted to ask how youre doing right now.
Ai-jen Poo:I think everyone is full of mixed emotions right now.
And at the same time, I think people are hopeful about a new year, a new beginning.
What is your main focus at the National Domestic Workers Alliance amid the pandemic?
Your advocacy work aims to show a more holistic view of what makes someone a caregiver.
What is your definition of a caregiver, and who is considered a domestic worker or caregiver?
Its in-person work that provides caregiving and cleaning services.
We also really support family caregivers.
Its so expensive to afford care.
The average cost of childcare in this country is about$9,000 a year.
The average cost of a private room in a nursing home is more than$100,000 per year.
And we have an economy where more than half of the workforce earns less than $50,000 per year.
The numbers just dont add up.
If for some reason we struggle, we blame ourselves.
Its almost fundamental infrastructure.
Its about making sure that our families are cared for, and our caregivers too.
Why is legislation for domestic workers so important?
So [legislation] is such a good way of lifting all boats.
But the reality of the workforce today is that its a lot of women.
When we think about what our economic recovery looks like, it has to support women workers.
I call them job-enabling jobs.
Its a resource for families who are navigating, How do I support my caregiver?
The pandemic has created this situation wherewe all just feel alone.
Women are so good about this.
Women are always in our squads.
We should make those relationships visible and valued in our culture and in our policy.
We now have the attention of so many people whove realized that these caregivers are essential, right?
What gives me hope is that we can emerge from this crisis with a much stronger care infrastructure.
Do you have any baseline self-care tips for domestic workers or caregivers who might be reading this?
We have all kinds of resources for domestic workers on our website,domesticworkers.org.
It also includes an emotional support text line calledCareTogether.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
