SACRAMENTO – The United Domestic Workers of America (UDW/AFSCME 3930), a union of 165,000 California home care workers and family child care providers, issued the following statement in response to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Budget Proposal on In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS):
“We are pleased to see the governor’s commitment to fully funding the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program in the next fiscal year, but we must remember that as the demand for IHSS care continues to grow, we will soon face an estimated labor shortage of 3.2 million direct care workers.
Investing much-needed funding into increasing access to IHSS for minors with disabilities is one step towards addressing this crisis. However, we have a long way to go towards guaranteeing access to long-term care for every Californian who needs it, and we must start by investing in better wages and benefits for home care workers in order to bring dignity and respect to this vital profession.
We are disappointed that the revised budget does not include commitments to increase reimbursement rates or investment in benefits for our state’s 40,000 family child care providers, who are the backbone of California’s economy. A one-time cost of living increase is not enough when negotiations remain stagnant and many child care providers are struggling.
We look forward to continuing conversations with Governor Newsom and working together to make real change for both of these essential workforces.”
