Victoria Walker

Portrait of Victoria Walker, MD
Featured Dr. Joanne Lynn

Welcome to the Family Caregiver Platform Project

Welcome to the Family Caregiver Platform Project! It is an honor to serve as your National Coordinator. The hard work of volunteers across the United States on behalf of family caregivers has an impact that we have been able to track through this project.

In 2016 our volunteers made 29 language submissions in 22 states. Language was officially adopted in eight state party platforms, one state party resolution, and two state bipartisan legislative resolutions. Moreover, both Democrats and Republicans included language in their 2016 National Platforms affirming the importance of family caregiving and home care.

State political parties will continue meeting and discussing their values and priorities in 2017. Following the 2016 presidential election, Americans of all parties are more aware of and engaged with political processes than ever. Caregiving is important to American families of all political philosophies. You can ensure that family caregiving issues are included in political discussions in your community and state.

In 2017, the Democratic parties in Massachusetts and Utah will be updating their party platforms. If you live in either of those states contact your state party to find out how you can give input to their platform process. You can read what we know about their processes on their individual state pages. You may also want to pursue having your State Legislature issue a bipartisan resolution affirming the importance of family caregiving, as was done in South Dakota and Mississippi in 2016.

We encourage everyone to read our suggested caregiver platform planks as a source for ideas to advance in your state. Examples of submission language for state party platforms and legislative resolutions can be found on our downloads page.

— Victoria Walker, MD, Chief Medical and Quality Officer for the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society

A diagram showing how to go from opportunity to policy change through advocacy.
Dr. Joanne Lynn

Focus on Community Catalyst

The Family Caregiver Platform Project (FCPP) is pleased to have Community Catalyst as one of our National Partners. Working together we can bring about changes to better serve the needs of family caregivers. Community Catalyst is a consumer advocacy organization working in 40 states. Kate Villers, President and Founder of Community Catalyst, says of their mission, “Each state is different, with a different political environment, so there is no single, cookie-cutter approach.“

Community Catalyst’s state-based partners provide leadership to state and local consumer organizations, policymakers, and foundations. Their experts assist state activists with research information, technical support, and political strategies to ensure consumers have a voice in decisions that affect their health. They share our view that community leadership is essential to transform the health care and social services that caregivers depend on.

Community Catalyst ran a guest editorial about the FCPP in the January 14, 2016 issue of their newsletter, The Dual Agenda. The piece by Victoria Walker, MD, explains how the goals of the FCPP overlap with those of Community Catalyst. You can subscribe to The Dual Agenda newsletter at communitycatalyst.org.

If any issue can unite communities across America it is caregiving. It’s easy and fun to bring caregiver issues to the attention of your local representatives. Many states are organizing now in preparation for caucuses and conventions. Go to Find Your State to discover upcoming events you can attend. You can download model language that can be customized for platform plank or resolution submission in your own state.

We urgently need your help. You can make a difference!