Juanita Forde

Juanita Forde is passionate about her work. She is a direct support professional, supporting people with developmental disabilities, and a union leader. She views the residents of the group home where she works as family and often includes them in her own holiday celebrations. 

Juanita says her propensity to care about others was modelled for her by her parents and grandparents early on. “The message was ‘If you need something, we are here. We are the village.’” she says. She loves her job but also says there are barriers for her and other care providers that must be broken down. 

Juanita is familiar with many of the challenges faced by care providers in Canada and has experienced many of the same difficulties she assists her union members with, including income disparity, systemic racism and sub-par working conditions. She has some solutions to bring to the table. 

The first issue she would like to see addressed is low pay. “Some people are going into debt to show up at work. Others are sleeping in their cars or in shelters. To think that those [who] care for others are paid the least is sad,” she says. 

Next are working conditions, which Juanita says are often unsupportive when it comes to a care provider needing to care for themselves or their own families. Time off work can result in a frontline care worker missing needed pay or being docked shifts. Paid sick days and adequate health-care benefits should be a given. 

Juanita wants to see the voices of frontline care workers at the centre of conversations about systemic change. What is needed, she says, is a diversity of voices to make proposed solutions stronger. “If you don’t have someone who is living the experience that you are overseeing, then what benefit do you have of knowing what people really need?” she asks. 

There is much more work to do, and Juanita looks forward to continuing to advocate for the type of changes that will ultimately result in a healthier care sector overall. It won’t be easy, she says, but with respect for each other’s positions, it can be done. 

“As a human being I always say, ‘Be empathic and find grace—whether you are giving it or receiving it, allow it.’ With grace we can find common ground and begin to make positive changes together.”