Ai-jen Poo

Jan 9, 2025 | msmagazine.com | Ai-jen Poo

When doctors discovered a concerning spot during Martresa’s routine checkup, they urged her to come in immediately for further tests and treatment. But as a single mother caring for both her chronically ill mother and young daughter, Martresa faced an impossible choice. With no paid leave or caregiving support, seeking treatment meant potentially losing her job and health insurance. Like so many, she made the decision to put her family’s care before her own.

Oct 18, 2024 | time.com | Ai-jen Poo

U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Green Bay, Wis., on Oct. 17, 2024. Kamil Krzaczynski—AFP/Getty Images Ideas October 18, 2024 12:49 PM EDT After her third child was born, Jerri, a sandwich-generation mom who lives in the Atlanta suburbs, left her job in retail because her entire paycheck would have gone to pay for childcare.

Jul 2, 2024 | thenation.com | Ai-jen Poo |Deepak Bhargava

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Dec 14, 2023 | time.com | Ai-jen Poo

Soon, we will face yet another decisive moment for the U.S.—the 2024 elections. Candidates are already competing for our attention, hitting the stage with soundbites and perspectives on the political issues of the day from education to foreign policy. But in the first presidential election since the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of our way of life, one issue cannot be missed. It’s the issue the pandemic brought home for quite literally every family: care.

Dec 11, 2023 | znetwork.org | Ai-jen Poo |Jessica A. Goodheart

Ai-jen Poo, a labor organizer and president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, has been shining the spotlight on the crisis of care in the United States for almost three decades. She advocates for some of the nation’s lowest paid workers — those who tend to our children, the elderly and the disabled. Last year, her efforts to shore up the country’s fragmented and underfunded care infrastructure nearly resulted in a multibillion-dollar federal investment.