New National Caregiving Caucus Brings Care Focus to the Hill

Half of all Canadians will be a caregiver at some point in their lives and there are few supports to help them while they care for the people they love. Caregiving – in both paid and unpaid contexts – are significantly undervalued. The time has come to build the caring future we all deserve, starting with leadership in the highest halls of power. To this end, the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE) is excited to announce the creation of the National Caregiving Caucus, the first group of federally elected officials focused on caregiving issues.

 “Canada’s 8+ million caregivers face daily and urgent challenges that demand policy reform,” says Liv Mendelsohn, executive director of the CCCE. “The launch of a National Caregiving Caucus shows that our elected officials recognize the invaluable role caregivers play in society. It also signals growing all-party momentum to collaborate on making life easier for Canadian caregivers.”

The role of the National Caregiving Caucus is to ensure that the voices and interests of caregivers are considered in federal policies and regulations. CCCE will convene the Caucus twice a year.

Caucus representatives include:

Liberal Party of Canada

• MP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre)
• MP Anna Gainey (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount)
• MP Joanne Thompson (St. John’s East)
• MP Irek Kusmierczyk (Windsor – Tecumseh)

Conservative Party of Canada

• MP Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill)
• MP Anna Roberts (King—Vaughan)
• MP Matt Jeneroux (Edmonton Riverbend)
• MP Tracy Gray (Kelowna—Lake Country)

New Democratic Party of Canada

• MP Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam)
• MP Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe)

Bloc Québecois

• MP Sylvie Bérubé (Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou)

Green Party of Canada

• MP Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre)

Quotes

“One in four Canadians is a caregiver today, and half of us will take on this vital role during our lifetime, supporting seniors, people with disabilities, and those living with illnesses. However, many caregivers face significant challenges, including financial strain, emotional stress, and limited resources. The launch of the National Caregiving Caucus is an important step to ensure their voices are heard and needs prioritized, uniting Members of Parliament across parties, to build a Canada where caregivers are recognized, supported, and valued.” – MP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre)

“As life becomes more and more unaffordable everyday in Canada, those who protect and care for us play an increasingly important and visible role in our lives. Caregivers are the backbone of our families — they deserve a government that will bring them home powerful paychecks and make their hard work pay off. I’m proud to be part of a team that will deliver lower taxes, lower prices, and the quality of life that we all expect here in Canada. I’m even prouder to welcome an amazing team of advocates, community leaders, and changemakers here to Ottawa.” – MP Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill)

“Caregivers have been undervalued, underpaid and invisible because they were traditionally women. It’s time to give caregivers the respect, compensation, and meaningful support they deserve. This new initiative will shine a light on caregivers and their important and evolving work in community.” – MP Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam)

“The launch of the National Caregiving Caucus marks an important step in recognizing and supporting those who devote their time and energy to helping loved ones in vulnerable situations. As the federal MP for a very large riding, I am pleased to participate in this national caucus to ensure that those who give so much receive the support they deserve. This caucus aims to bring together the voices of caregivers across the country, to raise public awareness of their challenges and to promote policies favourable to their well-being. By pooling our efforts, as members of the caucus, we hope to foster greater inclusion of caregivers in policy discussions, and put in place resources and programs that meet their specific needs.” – MP Sylvie Bérubé (Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou)

“With caregivers providing three hours of care for every hour provided by our healthcare system, this caucus could be an important positive force for cross-party action to deliver results for caregivers – like the push to convert the Canada Caregiver Credit to be a tax-free benefit, as the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence has long advocated for.” – MP Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre)

Supporting Caregivers with a National Caregiving Strategy

The launch of the National Caregiving Caucus marks the second significant milestone this year in addressing care issues. In Budget 2024, the Federal government committed to developing a National Caregiving Strategy and convening a sector table on the care economy. This was initiated by former Minister Seamus O’Regan and continued by the Hon. Steve MacKinnon, Minister of Seniors and Labour leading the process.

Prior to the inclusion of a commitment to a strategy in Budget 2024, CCCE started pan-Canadian formal consultations to develop their own National Caregiving Strategy, connecting with thousands of Canadians via webinars, an online form, and interactions with the CCCE team. The strategy will launch in early 2025.

Caregiving in Canada

Caregiving is the next frontier in Canadian public policy. One in four Canadians is a caregiver today and half will give care in their lifetime.

With the growing number of seniors and people living with disabilities, the time to develop caregiver friendly policies is now. According to CCCE’s report, Caring in Canada:

• One in four caregivers report fair or poor mental health. Caregivers are feeling tired (47%), worried or anxious (44%), or overwhelmed (37%) because of caregiving responsibilities.
• Caregivers provide an average of 5.1 hours of care a day, adding up to over 30 hours of unpaid care, or almost the equivalent of a full-time job.
• Half of caregivers have experienced financial stress in the past year due to caregiving. One in five (22%) caregivers has provided financial support to their care recipient, with 22% also reporting having spent at least $1,000 per month on out-of-pocket expenses.
• 80% of paid care providers, such as personal support workers or direct support professionals for people with disabilities, have considered changing careers, citing low compensation, inadequate staffing, discrimination and lack of safety at work.
• 76% of care providers and 61% of caregivers say that policy related to caregiving is important to how they vote.

Supportive workplace policies and financial benefits, such as caregiving allowances and higher wages, are crucial to addressing the growing care crisis across the country. CCCE looks forward to collaborating with every member of the Caucus to drive meaningful change and create a brighter future for care.

About CCCE

CCCE is an initiative of the Azrieli Foundation to support and empower family caregivers and care providers across Canada. We bring together stakeholders from across the country, translate knowledge to practice, scale what works and fill gaps through innovation. We are guided by four focus areas: support networks and knowledge sharing; education and leadership development; advocacy and policy development; and inclusion and underserved communities. Our expertise and insight, drawn from lived experiences, help us campaign for better systems and lasting change. We work closely with our partners and grantees towards shared goals and better experiences for all those who provide care.