Care Forward
Care Forward leverages the power of community to raise standards for domestic work at the neighborhood level. We do this by creating a framework for domestic workers and employers to engage in ongoing dialogue and negotiation around pay and other conditions; developing campaigns that raise awareness and enforcement of existing rights/laws and working to formalize domestic work standards for the neighborhood by coordinating a community standards board with workers, employers, and allies.
Contract Campaign
In 2024 we launched a campaign to raise the standard contract in our neighborhood because the community indicated written contracts as a top issue in our 2022 survey. Written contracts help enforce key rights such as overtime and paid sick leave as well as improve the working relationship. Preliminary findings in the first baseline survey of contracts in Carroll Gardens and Park Slope, collected between March and November 2024, indicated that less than half of respondents had a written contract with their primary employer.
Join our campaign by pledging to strengthen your contract. We will provide you the resources you need to update and negotiate your contracts to the high standard of care in our community through 1:1 coaching, negotiation trainings, contract templates, and zines.
Take Action with the Contract Pledge
Resources
In November 2023, following an Executive Order from President Biden, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released sample contracts designed to help domestic workers and their employers establish clear job expectations and fair working relationships. Written agreements benefit everyone who values care for all! Care Forward has adapted the DOL's templates with recommendations from our community members to make this easy for you!
The "Bronze Contract" helps you get started, while the "Golden Contract" helps you update existing agreements to make them even stronger!
Our zine, Care For All, introduces our work as a neighborhood-based standards-raising initiative to employers. We crafted Care Checklists and other recommendations for employers and domestic workers to establish clear job expectations and fair working relationships.
Baseline Contract Survey
Preliminary findings in the first baseline survey of contracts in Carroll Gardens and Park Slope indicated that less than half of respondents had a written contract with their primary employer. Of 121 domestic workers surveyed between March-November 2024, 54 reported having a written contract, 13 verbal agreements, and 54 no formal agreement with their primary employer.
Type of Contract
2024 Highlights
Launched the first in the nation Community-Led Standards Board for Domestic Workers in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens and Park Slope composed of local domestic workers, employers, organizers, and allies
Launched a campaign to increase and strengthen written contracts in Carroll Gardens and Park Slope
Developed a survey to further evaluate baseline contract standards and the contract campaign
Reached 300 domestic workers and employers in Carroll Gardens and Park Slope through direct outreach, events, and trainings
Developed a Contract Negotiation Curriculum in collaboration with We Rise Peer Educators
Collaboratively with the Workers Committee and Standards Board designed the Golden Contract that builds off the US DOL template but with the community’s standards
Held nine peer-led contract negotiation trainings in English + Spanish offering in depth support to 33 domestic workers
Held four worker and employer outreach events in Park Slope and Carroll Gardens
Collaborated with CUNY School of Labor of Urban Studies master’s student to launch the first participatory action research of baseline standards for domestic workers contracts in Carroll Gardens and Park Slope
Hosted the 2nd Annual Care Hero Awards with 40 attendees
Deepened collaboration with Hand in Hand: the Domestic Employers Network
Created a partnership with elected leaders and community stakeholders including New York State Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon and the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Mayuga
2022 Highlights
Created and circulated a survey for workers to identify priority issues
Reached over 200 workers through direct outreach
Created a worker-led strategy group that met biweekly
Created a worker-led outreach team that conducted weekly outreach in parks + libraries in Carroll Gardens and Park Slope
Held four employer outreach events in Park Slope
Created social media presence on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram
Developed a What is Overtime Curriculum in collaboration with We Rise Peer Educators and Take Root Justice
Held 12 Overtime trainings in English + Spanish attended by over 150 workers
Presented at the NDWA Congress as part of a broader standards-raising platform
Created a partnership with Councilmember Shahana Hanif to support and collaborate with. More to come in 2023!
Got Care Forward on the District 39 Participatory Budgeting Ballot
Held Care Forward-sponsored Care Conversation with Councilmember Hanif, Park Slope Parents, and over 50 attendees
Check out the recap video of our powerful Care Forward launch in Park Slope! Scroll down for more coverage.
Scenes from the Care Forward Launch!
On Sunday, September 26, 2021 hundreds of domestic workers, employers, and community allies gathered to launch Care Forward in JJ Byrne Park in Park Slope. Check out some photos below and media coverage of our launch!
