A vast majority of Americans cannot afford to take care of their families. But they see it as their responsibility, and too often their failure. To get by, they cobble together solutions, even quitting their jobs to look after a newborn or when a parent becomes ill. Things are getting worse as baby boomers age into their 70s. America’s piecemeal and expensive care infrastructure, created a half century ago, has reached a breaking point.

Our organization will unveil a new social insurance program on Monday called Universal Family Care that could fix this crisis. It would provide affordable early child care, paid leave, assistance for people with disabilities and elder care for people of all incomes. We need an integrated approach because no one experiences needs in isolation: We might need help right after an injury, or over the course of our lives to help a disabled family member thrive.

To pay for this, people would contribute small amounts out of every paycheck, from their first job onward, instead of scrambling during an expensive moment of crisis. And they could sign up for benefits when they first need them. Everyone would contribute and be eligible.

We need a solution of this magnitude because this crisis affects almost everyone. Parents pay nearly $10,000 a year on average (with wide variations by region) for day care. Women over 50 who quit their jobs to look after an aging loved one forgo $274,000 in lifetime wages and Social Security benefits on average. Half of people turning 65 today will at some point need long-term support, which could mean $50,336 a year.