Episode 307: The Cost of Caregiving

Labor Day is supposed to be about honoring workers—but what about the essential work that happens at home, often without a paycheck? Professor Jennifer Greenfield explains why caregiving, paid family and medical leave, and the rising cost of child care are not just private family concerns, but issues that affect workers, employers, and the broader economy. She explores what paid leave policies look like across U.S. states, who gets left out of the current system, and what policymakers can do to better support people caring for children, aging parents, and other loved ones.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Greenfield's findings, A Colorado Guaranteed Income Program Could Help Families, but the Costs Are High, co-written with Kaitlyn Sims and Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, in The Conversation

• Read her op-ed in the Denver Post, Here's How the Big Beautiful Bill Will Hurt Coloradans Most in Need of Assistance

• Check out her op-ed in The Hill, Why paid leave should be kept in Build Back Better