[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 20359-20360]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07308]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 20359]]


                Proclamation 10540 of March 31, 2023

                
Care Workers Recognition Month, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Across America, care workers help raise our children, 
                assist seniors as they age with dignity, and support 
                people with disabilities--giving families peace of mind 
                and making it possible for millions of Americans to 
                earn a paycheck while their loved ones are safe and 
                secure. These unsung heroes strengthen our communities 
                and form the backbone of our Nation's economy. This 
                month, we honor their extraordinary contributions and 
                commit to supporting them with better pay, better 
                benefits, and the recognition they have long deserved.

                Despite all they give to this country, care workers--
                including child care workers, home care workers, and 
                long-term care workers--are among the lowest-paid 
                workers in America. Some juggle multiple jobs, and many 
                leave the profession altogether in search of better 
                options. The vast majority of care workers are women, 
                and a disproportionate share are people of color, so 
                this chronic underpayment deepens gender and racial 
                wealth gaps. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many care 
                workers were forced to put themselves and their 
                families at risk, just to do their jobs. And the care 
                workforce continues to recover slowly, making it hard 
                for families to find care. This leads to hundreds of 
                billions in lost wages each year and only heightens the 
                obligation placed on the Nation's more than 50 million 
                family caregivers.

                As many have said, care is the work that makes all 
                other work possible. That is why my Administration 
                invested over $39 billion from our American Rescue Plan 
                to help child care providers keep their doors open and 
                to provide child care workers with higher pay, bonuses, 
                and other benefits--reducing turnover and attracting 
                new staff. To date, these efforts have helped 220,000 
                child care programs, which employ more than 1 million 
                child care workers and have the capacity to serve 9.6 
                million children. At the height of the pandemic, we 
                delivered financial relief to nearly 300,000 child care 
                workers through our expanded earned income tax credit. 
                We know we must do more, so my most recent budget 
                proposes investing $600 billion over 10 years to expand 
                access to high-quality child care and free, high-
                quality preschool. This funding will allow States to 
                increase pay for child care workers while helping the 
                families of more than 16 million children afford child 
                care.

                Meanwhile, we are promoting the use of apprenticeship 
                programs and partnering with employers, unions, and 
                others to recruit, train, and keep long-term care 
                workers on the job while also helping them advance 
                their careers as registered and licensed nurses. My 
                Budget calls on the Congress to invest $150 billion 
                over the next decade to improve and expand Medicaid 
                home- and community-based services--making it easier 
                for seniors and people with disabilities to receive 
                care in their own homes. This funding would improve the 
                quality of jobs for home care workers and support 
                family caregivers.

                Our message this month to care workers across America 
                is simple: The work you do matters. You are there for 
                families when they need you most--providing comfort, 
                strength, and compassion that inspire us all. Your 
                devotion to the people and communities you serve 
                represents the best of America's

[[Page 20360]]

                character, and we will always stand with you, ensuring 
                you are seen, valued, and rewarded fairly for the work 
                you do.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 2023 as 
                Care Workers Recognition Month. I call upon all 
                Americans to celebrate the contributions of care 
                workers to our Nation with appropriate ceremonies, 
                activities, and programs.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-07308
Filed 4-4-23; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P