Houlahan Leads Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers to Introduce Multigenerational Caregiving Data Act to Quantify and Support America’s “Sandwich Generation” of Caregivers

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) led a bipartisan and bicameral group of colleagues to introduce the Multigenerational Caregiving Data Act, legislation aimed at closing a critical data gap affecting millions of Americans who care for both aging parents and children. Co-leading the legislation are Representatives Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Mike Turner (R-OH) and Ro Khanna (D-CA). A companion bill in the U.S. Senate is being introduced by Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ). Often referred to as the “sandwich generation,” caregivers who are responsible for minor children and aging parents play a vital but undervalued role in the nation’s economy. Despite growing awareness, no major federal survey currently identifies and counts individuals providing care across generations—leaving policymakers without the data needed to understand the economic and societal impacts and develop methods to support these caregivers. “Millions of Americans are balancing the demands of raising children while caring for aging loved ones, often at great personal and financial cost,” said Rep. Houlahan . “Today, our federal data systems don’t clearly capture the number of Americans involved in caregiving at this scale. This bipartisan bill takes a simple, practical step to ensure their contributions and challenges are no longer invisible.” “I feel the isolation of being a sandwich generation caregiver every day as I look after my dad with Alzheimer's and my two boys. It’s a challenge that millions face across our country and yet we too often go unheard and overlooked. This legislation works to change that. The better our federal data represents the true experience of caregivers and how many of us there are, the better we can deliver the support and resources caregivers deserve,” said Senator Kim , who is introducing the Senate companion. “Americans who care for their aging parents while also raising children at the same time are subject to a unique pressure that federal data fails to fully recognize,” said Rep. Luna. “This bill aims to better understand the critical role multigenerational caregivers play in families and communities across America,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. “Across Ohio and the country, families are doing the difficult work of caring for aging parents while also raising children. These caregivers strengthen our families and communities, but too often their challenges go unseen. This bipartisan legislation is a practical step to better understand their needs, recognize their contributions, and ensure policymakers have the information necessary to support them,” said Congressman Mike Turner. The legislation would require at least one federal survey to include a question identifying individuals who provide unpaid care to both older adults and children, leveraging existing infrastructure at minimal cost. By establishing the first nationally consistent data on multigenerational caregiving, the bill will help improve policymaking, better target resources, and track trends over time. Jason Resendez, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, added, “Family caregivers cannot remain invisible in our nation’s health data. The Multigenerational Caregiver Data Act is an important step toward better understanding the realities of caregivers balancing care across generations and ensuring policymakers have the data needed to build more effective supports for families.” “As our population ages, working people – especially women – are simultaneously providing care for aging parents, children, disabled loved ones and other family members,” said Katherine Gallagher Robbins, Senior Fellow, National Partnership for Women & Families. “Their caregiving supports not only their families but also strengthens communities and the broader economy. As today’s workers strive to juggle the many responsibilities they carry at home and at work, it is more important than ever that the federal government accurately captures data around who workers are providing care for so that policy choices being made meet their needs. We are grateful to Representatives Chrissy Houlahan, Anna Paulina Luna, Ro Khanna, and Mike Turner for their efforts to improve this critical data collection.” Read the bill text here . --end--