If you’ve ever helped an aging parent get to the doctor, managed a loved one’s medications or stayed up late worrying about how to pay for home care, you already know what caregiving really means. It’s love in action.

And in Michigan, more than 1.6 million family caregivers are doing that work every single day.

They don’t do it for recognition. They do it because family comes first, but too often that care comes at a cost–missed work, drained savings and sleepless nights wondering how to make ends meet.

On average, Michigan caregivers spend more than $7,200 a year out of their own pockets to help care for someone they love.

That’s why AARP Michigan is proud to support a new proposal in Lansing — a state tax credit for family caregivers.

It’s a simple idea with a big impact. House Bill 5214, sponsored by state Rep. Kathy Schmaltz and supported by a bipartisan group of legislators, would allow caregivers to receive a financial credit at tax time to help cover the costs of things such as home modifications, transportation or respite care.

It won’t solve every challenge, but it’s a meaningful step toward easing the financial squeeze so many families feel. They’re not looking for a handout–just a little help to keep doing what they need to do: care for the people they love.

As lawmakers debate this bill, I hope they’ll remember the quiet acts of love and sacrifice happening in kitchens and living rooms across our state. Michigan’s caregivers deserve more than our thanks. They deserve relief.

Join AARP in urging lawmakers to pass this much-needed caregiver tax credit. To add your voice, go online to www.aarpmi.org/care.