Caregiving Under the Microscope: My Journey and the Path Forward - Drafting Strong Caregiver Legislation in 2026

Mark Fukae
Apr 26
3 min read

Mark Fukae — Director of Advocacy, Professionals Who Care

When I first faced the harsh reality of balancing full-time caregiving with full-time employment, I assumed that surely the law would offer protections. Surely the system understood the economic and human cost of pushing caregivers to their breaking point. What I learned, however, was sobering: protections were limited, fragmented, and often left too much to chance. It became clear that real change required more than personal resilience — it demanded informed, strategic advocacy. From my seat as Director of Advocacy for Professionals Who Care (PWC), I offer this guide for those ready to turn hard-won experience into meaningful legislation.

1. Understand the Current Laws: Foundations Before Frustrations

Before proposing any new caregiver protection, you must understand the legal landscape that already exists — and more critically, where it falls short. In Colorado, for instance, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) prohibits employment discrimination but does not currently classify "family caregiver status" as a protected category. Nationally, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) offers some limited protection against "associational discrimination," but it does not require workplace accommodations for caregivers (ADA.gov). Similarly, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees unpaid leave, but its thresholds exclude millions of workers (U.S. Department of Labor).

Are you fully aware of how your state's and federal laws impact the people you seek to protect — and where they leave critical gaps?

2. Research and Understand the Data: Numbers Tell a Story Lawmakers Listen To

Compelling legislation must be grounded not only in emotion but also in irrefutable evidence. Consider that over 60% of caregivers report heightened emotional stress, and 32% of employees have left their jobs due to caregiving conflicts (AARP, 2023). Harvard Business School estimates the cost to employers of unaddressed caregiver needs at over $38 billion annually (Harvard Business Review, 2019). Meanwhile, 48 million Americans are unpaid family caregivers (National Alliance for Caregiving, 2020) — a number growing every year.

You must research the latest reports, cite credible studies, and present data in a way that humanizes the problem while highlighting its economic and societal costs.

Have you equipped yourself with credible, up-to-date data to validate the urgency of your legislative proposal?

3. Identify and Understand Your Audience: Allies, Opponents, and the Impacted

Every piece of legislation is ultimately about people — those it protects, those it threatens, and those who must enforce or live with it. For caregiver protection laws, your allies may include nonprofit organizations, aging networks, employer coalitions focused on workplace flexibility, and health care advocates. Your opponents could include business groups worried about expanded compliance costs or policymakers wary of "mandates" during tight budget cycles.

Critically, you must understand and elevate the voices of the directly impacted: family caregivers balancing invisible labor with visible professional demands. But you must also anticipate and understand the arguments of your opponents — not to fear them, but to strengthen your position.

Do you know who stands to benefit, who fears loss, and how to meaningfully engage both groups in your advocacy?

A Closing Invitation: From Advocacy to Action

The journey from personal experience to public policy is not for the faint of heart — but it is the work that transforms private suffering into public good. If any part of this story rings true to you — if you have struggled as a caregiver, worried in silence about keeping your job, or dreamed of a system that honors both family and work — I invite you to join us.

Share your story: Visit ProfessionalsWhoCare.org and share with us on LinkedIn as well to submit your caregiving experience..
Stay connected: Follow Professionals Who Care on LinkedIn and our website for updates.
Volunteer: If you are ready to lend your voice, skills, or passion to advancing caregiver rights, we would be honored to welcome you.