International Day of Care and Support 2026

History & origins

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 29 October as the International Day of Care and Support in resolution A/RES/77/317 (2023). UN Women and other UN communications described Member States’ agreement as a milestone for recognizing care’s role in gender equality and sustainable societies. The resolution highlights the need to invest in robust, resilient, gender-responsive, disability-inclusive, and age-sensitive care and support systems; to recognize, reduce, value, and redistribute unpaid care and domestic work; and to treat paid care workers as essential workers with paths toward decent work and away from informal, undervalued labor.

The Assembly invited Member States, the UN system, civil society, the private sector, academia, and the public to observe the day annually to raise awareness of care and support’s contribution to societies and economies. ILO voices publicly welcomed the October 29 designation in 2023 coverage. The day is a UN international day, not a U.S. federal holiday.

Care here means the practical and relational labor of looking after people — parenting time, eldercare, disability support, nursing and home-care jobs, domestic work, and community support — not dating advice or couple’s content. TheDayOf keeps the page policy-neutral: present the UN framing and appreciation ideas without partisan campaign scripts.

Why it matters

Economies run on care that is often unpaid, underpaid, or invisible in statistics. A global day helps families name the work, helps workplaces check leave and flexibility practices, and helps the public remember both family caregivers and professional care workers.

How to celebrate

Thank a caregiver or care worker specifically for a task they did this week. Offer practical help: a meal, a covered shift for a sibling, a ride to an appointment, or respite time if you are trusted and capable. Employers can review caregiver leave, flexible scheduling, and fair pay for care roles they employ. Schools and libraries can host age-appropriate conversations about household labor without gender stereotypes as destiny. Share reputable UN, ILO, or public-health explainers on unpaid care. Donate or volunteer only with organizations you have vetted. Listen to disabled people and older adults about the support they want. Do not turn the day into romance marketing, “find a partner who cares” listicles, or sermonizing.

Facts

• UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/77/317 proclaimed 29 October the International Day of Care and Support (2023)
• The day addresses both unpaid care/domestic work and paid care workers as essential labor
• UN framing links care systems to gender equality, disability inclusion, aging, and decent work
• ILO and UN Women publicly welcomed the designation in 2023 communications
• It is a UN international day, not a U.S. federal holiday; this page is not dating content

Upcoming dates

• Thursday, October 29, 2026
• Friday, October 29, 2027
• Sunday, October 29, 2028
• Monday, October 29, 2029
• Tuesday, October 29, 2030