Home > Get Started

Here’s how you can get started on working to include family caregiving issues in your state party platform. It doesn’t matter which state you live in or what political party you belong to. As a non-partisan group we care about issues, not party politics.

Quick Steps

• Download a template for what you might want to submit to a Platform Committee in your state in either Microsoft Word or PDF format.
• Get an overview of the Family Caregiver Platform Project by reading our About Us page.

Get People Talking

Here are some ideas on how to get people talking. Read more from the perspective of a state contact person, a volunteer, or a journalist.

Learn how things work in your state and community

Before you start talking with your local officials, you need to find out what’s going on in your community.

What supports exist now for family caregivers in your community, and what needs improving? You can read the archived versions of our 2016 state overview pages to help you get connected with local allies. You will need to do your own research to find out how things have changed since 2016.

What programs are listed on local websites? What are companies doing to support family caregivers? Are there programs that could be supported, and is there a need to expand them or create new ones? Are there “smarter” solutions that haven’t been discussed widely but could be?

Get involved with your state party

As advocates for strong families and communities, we have a duty to get caregiving issues embedded in party platforms wherever they fit best. Since issues and attitudes vary across the United States, one size doesn’t fit all.

Use our suggested platform planks to create awareness among policy and political professionals of what family caregivers do. Help them understand why supporting caregivers is so valuable to communities and families all across the country.

Find out whether there is a local political club in your community that holds regular meetings. Local political clubs are usually the best way to meet other people from your party who live in your community. At political club meetings you can find out what the issues are and participate in discussions about what positions the club will take on things. In most states, political clubs are chartered by the state party to which they belong. This gives them some influence on things like what delegates are chosen for state party conventions.

State party platforms are usually adopted at state party conventions. Find out how the platform committee works for your state, and find out how to attend their working meetings.

Make your voice heard

Start writing and speaking about caregiver issues. Blog, tweet, and write emails to friends and colleagues! Tell your own caregiving story at public events and platform committee meetings. Take other caregivers with you to meetings, and ask whether they can tell their story as well. Connect with other advocates in your community, in your state, and across the nation.