Green Bay Reporter

Rep. Kristina Shelton recently brought attention to issues facing the caregiving economy. 

She said, "The caregiving economy, caregivers and those seeking care are in crisis. The pandemic highlighted what we already knew to be true – that more must be done to support caregivers and those receiving care because both are worthy of living lives filled with dignity and investment."

Shelton places blame on House Democrats for the lack of progress in the industry, saying that they are holding up critical legislation and acting sluggish to solve problems that caregivers are facing. 

She went on to say, "As a member of the committee on Aging and Long-Term Care, I can report that we have only met one time in the past 11 months. Only one bill has moved through executive action and two additional bills have been assigned to the committee without a scheduled hearing. A few months ago, committee Democrats wrote a letter to the committee chair asking for a public hearing on one of the bills. And yet, that bill remains dead without a hearing date. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Committee Dems will be meeting to discuss a path forward and to once again, prioritize legislative action to support the caregiving economy. Evers’ Task Force on Caregiving provides a fantastic blueprint on recommendations that should be considered by the legislature. Further, a deeper investigation into solutions to address the 490 million unpaid hours of yearly care for people with disabilities/older adults. This isn’t economic justice. It’s an unpaid, exploited labor force built on the backs of women, the working poor and minority groups. Just a reminder, too, that Wisconsin has over $2.5 billion sitting in the state’s coffers. Don’t believe anyone when they tell you that we can’t invest in Wisconsin and in ourselves. Have feedback or questions? Drop a comment or email or office at Rep.Shelton@legis.wisconsin.gov.”

One in five Wisconsin residents provides “ongoing care” for a family member, and three out of five of those caregivers are women, according to the Wisconsin Examiner. A quarter of the caregivers serving adults with disabilities are over the age of 60.