The future of care work is at a crossroads where new frames and narratives have huge potential to shift public thinking. During the COVID-19 pandemic, care was in the spotlight, and with that came an increasing recognition of its importance. This has been a relatively enduring effect, as we still find that care work remains salient in public thinking. Alongside this shift in attention, we have recently seen promising political shifts to prioritize care workers—shifts that can, hopefully, lay the groundwork for deeper structural changes.

This report shares our findings from in-depth research on the public’s mindsets, including the deeply held assumptions and understandings that shape their thinking about care and care work. These deep patterns of thinking offer opportunities and challenges for progressive communicators who advocate for systemic change.