��ѻ��ý

In an era marked by political polarization, a new study from researchers at the Johns ��ѻ��ý finds rare bipartisan agreement: Americans overwhelmingly support policies that would strengthen the nation’s care economy, particularly those aimed at making long-term care more affordable and expanding the paid caregiving workforce.

The published June 6, 2025 using the CLIMB (COVID-19 and Life, with Impacts across Mental and Behavioral Health) research team, surveyed a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults and found that more than 75% of respondents endorsed major care economy policies, regardless of political party or caregiving experience. About one in five Americans reported currently providing unpaid care to an adult with disabilities.

The study analyzed responses from 2,059 adults who participated in the March–April 2024 wave of the CLIMB Study, a longitudinal panel led by Hopkins researchers and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. Survey weights ensured national representativeness. The analysis examined support for six federal policies aligned with the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, comparing results across political affiliation, caregiving status, and demographics.

Among the six care-related policies surveyed, those focused on affordability and workforce development saw the highest support with 79% of respondents supporting making care in long-term facilities more affordable and 75.4% supporting making home-based care more affordable. Additionally, 78.3% endorsed investments in the paid caregiving workforce and 77.3% backed eliminating asset-depletion requirements for long-term care eligibility. Even the two more divisive policies—paid family leave (65.4%) and financial compensation for family caregivers (61.2%)—garnered majority support.

"Caregiving responsibilities are increasingly common, and they don’t fall along partisan lines," said lead author Kate Miller, PhD, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the Bloomberg School. “Our findings show that while political affiliation shapes which policies people support most strongly, there is clear and consistent public demand for action to address the affordability and accessibility of care.” 

Political party affiliation played a significant role in the intensity of endorsement. While Democrats were most likely to support all six policies (ranging from 77.8% to 89.0%), Republicans still showed majority support for four of the six. Notably, 67.5% of Republican respondents supported making care in facilities more affordable, and 66.6% supported investments in the direct care workforce. 

“Even where we saw ideological divergence—like on paid leave or compensating family caregivers—more than half of respondents still supported most proposals,” Miller said. “That tells us the public recognizes the real pressures caregivers face, especially as our population ages.” 

Caregiving: A Universal Experience, Often Undervalued 

Roughly 20% of respondents in the study identified as current caregivers for an adult, with no significant differences by political party. These caregivers were more likely to be female and less likely to work full time—patterns consistent with prior research. Interestingly, caregiving status had a smaller influence on policy support than political identity. 

While caregivers were more likely to favor policies that directly relieve their burdens—such as being paid for their care work—many non-caregivers also endorsed those policies, especially those that lower costs or expand access to paid help. 

"Family caregivers are the invisible backbone of our long-term care system,” said co-author Catherine Ettman, PhD. “But they are often unpaid and unsupported. This study helps clarify that Americans across the political spectrum want to see more support for family caregivers.”

Policy Windows in a Post-Pandemic Era 

The findings arrive at a critical policy moment. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep vulnerabilities in long-term care infrastructure and spurred the development of the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, a federal roadmap now awaiting more robust funding and legislative backing. 

Recent efforts, including the Biden administration’s 2023 executive order to expand affordable, high-quality care and multiple 2024 campaign proposals, have signaled growing political momentum around caregiving. However, federal reforms have historically struggled, including high-profile failures such as the CLASS Act and long-term care provisions of the Build Back Better Act. 

This study may help shift that narrative by identifying widely supported and potentially bipartisan entry points for action.

“The fact that most Americans—Democrats and Republicans alike—want a stronger, more affordable care system is a powerful message,” Miller said. “Addressing the needs of family caregivers may be an opportunity for consensus building.”

Next Steps and Implications 

The authors recommend that policymakers prioritize policies with the strongest bipartisan support, such as: 

• Protecting personal assets while qualifying for long-term care
• Making home- and facility-based care more affordable
• Strengthening and expanding the professional caregiving workforce

These initiatives offer the best chance of near-term success and long-term impact, especially as more Americans anticipate stepping into caregiving roles. More than half of non-caregivers in the study said they expect to provide care in the future.

“Investing in the care economy isn’t just about supporting today’s caregivers—it’s about preparing for tomorrow’s needs,” Miller said.

The study was supported by a grant from the de Beaumont Foundation. Data are available upon request to the CLIMB research team.