services
Care, built to last.
Care is where life happens—at its most ordinary and its most precious—yet the systems meant to support it have fallen out of step with human need. Families are left to piece together help, workers are undervalued and overextended, and communities navigate fragmented structures never designed to work together. This is the toll of the Caregiving Divide™.
The CareWorks Project exists to close it, partnering with public and private sector leaders to redesign how caregiving systems work so people can live with dignity, families can rely on care that truly works, and workers thrive in well-paid jobs with strong training, flourishing career paths, and professional recognition.
Closing the Caregiving Divide™—and rebuilding how care works
Caregiving Economy & Workforce Expertise
Shaping the Caregiving & Workforce Agendas
We bring decades of experience advancing policy, research, and practice across the caregiving economy, helping leaders strengthen systems that support caregivers, older adults, and workers. From workforce development to long-term care reform, we deliver actionable solutions that shape the caregiving and aging agenda nationwide.
Advisory and technical assistance to government, philanthropy, and nonprofits
Research, analysis, and reports that translate data into strategy
Policy and thought leadership content that drives public discourse
Training, workshops, and keynote presentations that educate and inspire
AI, Data & Innovation in Care Systems
Our Services
Led federal caregiving reform efforts
Produced field-defining reports
Studied our most urgent challenges
What We’ve Done
“Robert Espinoza has spent decades greatly advancing our understanding of the direct care workforce—the paid backbone of long-term care in this country. His important work consistently bridges policy, practice, and the lived realities of workers and families.”
— David Grabowski, PhD, Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, a world-renowned center for research and leadership in health care policy and aging.
Narrative Change & Strategic Communications
Telling Stories that Move Systems
Storytelling is systems work—creatively shaping policy priorities, cultural attitudes, and how care is valued. We help organizations clarify who they are and why their work matters, crafting narratives that move people, shift perspectives, and create change.
Brand and identity strategy
Narrative framing and message development
Campaign strategy and public engagement
Creative production in writing, design, and multimedia
Our Services
Rebranded a social insurance leader
Positioned a new federal aging resource
Created an award-winning podcast
What We’ve Done
“Robert has a rare combination of deep expertise on care policy and the high-level narrative and storytelling chops it takes to build demand for solutions to these important but challenging issues.”
— Nat Kendall-Taylor, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, FrameWorks Institute, a globally respected research organization advancing the science of narrative and strategic framing in social change.
Program & Initiative Design
Designing Programs that Deliver Results
Ideas move into action through structured initiatives with measurable outcomes, from national programs to coalitions and social enterprises. We bring clarity and rigor at every stage to build solutions designed to endure.
Multi-year initiative design and management
Program development and implementation
Coalition and systems-change strategy
Social entrepreneurship and innovation models
AI, Data & Innovation in Care Systems
Our Services
Co-built multi-state advocacy strategies
Shifted philanthropic investment
Reframed the care workforce shortage
What We’ve Done
“Robert has a rare ability to connect the big picture of the care economy with the practical realities of building in it. His counsel helped shape how we at CareAcademy thought about the future of care, and he consistently pushed us to see how policy could unlock opportunities to advance both mission and margin.”
— Helen Adeosun, Chief Strategy Officer, Activated Insights, and Founder of CareAcademy, a nationally recognized platform advancing training and career development for care workers.
Leadership & Organizational Development
Strengthening Leadership & Teams
Systems change begins with aligned leadership. We partner with executives, boards, and teams to sharpen purpose, deepen collaboration, and build cultures that turn vision into action.
Executive coaching and leadership development
Board development and governance strategy
Organizational planning and systems design
Facilitation and retreats that foster alignment and purpose
AI, Data & Innovation in Care Systems
Our Services
Co-led a 3-year strategic plan on aging
Advised leading national boards
Developed social enterprise expertise
What We’ve Done
“Long-term care systems around the world are grappling with the same fundamental challenge: how to support the workers who make care possible. Robert Espinoza brings a global perspective to this issue, helping connect lessons across countries while keeping the needs of care workers front and center.”
— Anne Marie Brady, Research Director for Worker Rights and Equity at the Worker Institute, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, a leading center for research and policy on work, labor, and employment.
Meet the Founder
Founder & CEO of The CareWorks Project, Robert Espinoza is a national expert on the caregiving economy, advising leaders on caregiving, aging, workforce policy, and narrative strategy to create a care economy that works for everyone.