WorkLife Law is pleased to announce a new award of $75,000 by the California Access to Justice Commission’s Infrastructure and Innovation Grant Program that will expand legal support to working family caregivers. Through this critical funding, WorkLife Law will launch a pilot community-legal partnership with the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center, empowering low-income caregivers in the Los Angeles area to access paid family leave and other workplace rights.
As the California population of seniors and disabled people continues to skyrocket, workers who care for their aging and disabled family members are struggling to meet their loved ones’ needs without sacrificing their own economic security. All too often, workers with caregiving responsibilities are being fired, going into debt, and facing systemic barriers to accessing California’s Paid Family Leave program.
With this support from the California Access to Justice Commission (CalATJ), WorkLife Law is launching a partnership with the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center (LA CRC) to ensure low-wage workers who are caregivers have the information and legal services they need to safeguard their livelihood without sacrificing care. While LA CRC already provides holistic support to family caregivers, our attorneys will introduce a legal services component by:
- Creating and disseminating bilingual, culturally competent know-your-rights resources for caregivers,
- Training LA CRC case workers on caregivers’ legal protections, and
- Providing legal direct assistance to working caregivers.
“We are deeply grateful to the California Access to Justice Commission for making this new project possible,” said WorkLife Law Co-Director Liz Morris. “This grant comes at a time when caregivers across California are struggling to provide care for their loved ones without losing their jobs. We are honored to partner with LA-CRC to launch an innovative model that will support this vulnerable population.”
“Black and Latine Californians are more likely to provide care, yet less likely to use the Paid Family Leave benefits they’re entitled to through their paycheck contributions,” says Jessica Lee, Co-Director of WorkLife Law. “We are excited to work closely with the LA CRC to address the many disparities caused by a lack of accessible, culturally-relevant information.”
“Collaborating with WorkLife Law on this program will greatly improve our services to those caregivers who are balancing work and family obligations related to caring for someone with dementia,” says Donna Benton, Director of LA-CRC. “Often, education on the topic of legal rights can be the difference between financial security while caring and financial stress and long-term employment issues for working caregivers.”
In the future, WorkLife Law hopes to expand this model across the state and beyond. Thank you to the California Access to Justice Commission for their generosity and commitment to advancing access to justice for all Californians. For more information about discrimination against family caregivers and the laws that protect them, visit www.worklifelaw.org/projects/family-caregiver-discrimination/.