HARRISBURG -Lancaster County Sen. James Malone rallied with colleagues, the United Home Care Workers of PA, and patients in Harrisburg to support Gov. Shapiro’s $21 million investment to help attract, retain, and sustain a skilled for participant-directed caregivers workforce. It would raise wages for over 8,500 caregivers who currently earn an average of $13.50 per hour in PA, fund paid time off for the first time ever, and allow more people to self-direct care. Direct Care Workers assist people with disabilities in living independently. The workers care for adults with disabilities who choose to direct their own care rather than go through an agency. Participant-directed home care is the most direct and fiscally responsible way for individuals with disabilities to receive assistance and maintain independence because no taxpayer dollars are spent on agency overhead or taken as profit for their owners. The $21 million proposed investment would leverage an additional $27 million in federal matching funds to address the direct care workforce shortage by raising wages and providing access to sick time and health insurance.
SEN. JAMES MALONE