Dear supporters,
We now have 665 supporters and 740 signatures standing with family caregivers across Colorado and beyond. Thank you!!!
This week crystallized exactly why this work cannot wait.
What Happened This Week
The Trump administration froze $10 billion in child care, TANF, and social service funds to five states, including Colorado. Our state had $300 million placed on hold.
On Friday, a federal judge blocked the freeze for 14 days. This is a lifeline - but a fragile one.
ACA subsidies expired, sending premiums skyrocketing for caregivers who often work part-time or gig jobs. Congress is scrambling. Nothing is certain. Families are in limbo.
Medicaid work requirements rolled out nationally. Caregivers are technically exempt - but only if they can navigate massive documentation requirements.
And employers continue practicing constructive discharge - quietly pushing out caregivers and disabled workers without ever firing them.
The Personal Story Behind the CARE Act
In this week's newsletter, I wrote about my mother's 94th birthday. She reads her birthday cards over and over because her memory lasts only seconds. Each reading is new. Each time, she rediscovers that she's loved.
As I watched her, I felt the weight of something larger: our lives are on hold, not because of our loved ones' decline, but because systems make caregiving harder than it needs to be.
I also shared something I've never written publicly: what HR told me in 2024 when I tried to explain my caregiving responsibilities.
"Sorry, we ALL are dealing with our family caregiving responsibilities - but we have to suck it up."
That sentence was the genesis of my advocacy. The moment I realized: the law itself has to change.
Why the CARE Act Matters
The Colorado CARE Act makes caregiver status a protected class, requires reasonable accommodations, mandates documentation for denials, prohibits constructive discharge, and strengthens ADA enforcement. At zero cost to the state.
We're seeking legislative sponsorship before the January 14 session deadline. We're building coalition support. We're making the case with evidence, fiscal analysis, and human stories.
What You Can Do
Your signature matters. Your shares matter. Your stories matter.
Read this week's full reflection: [https://open.substack.com/pub/therevenueneutralcaregiver/p/our-lives-on-hold-when-the-cards?r=6a52ih&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true]
Share the petition with your networks: [https://c.org/DLWncS9wtT]
Share your story to https://casiadvocacy.org and https://www.professionalswhocare.org/
Follow my Substack: I just posted a new video, podcast and substack article: https://substack.com/@therevenueneutralcaregiver
Thank you for standing with us. This is how change happens - one voice, one story, one signature at a time.
Kindly and Gratefully,
Mark Fukae
The Revenue Neutral Caregiver - @therevenueneutralcaregiver
Founder, CASI - Caregiver Advocacy Support Initiative - https://casiadvocacy.org
Director of Advocacy - Professionals Who Care - https://www.professionalswhocare.org/