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Shapiro Administration investing nearly $3M to bolster direct care workforce
Ed Gruver//January 8, 2024
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy Walker said creating quality jobs for the direct care workforce is an investment in quality care for Pennsylvanians. PHOTO/PACAST
Shapiro Administration investing nearly $3M to bolster direct care workforce
Ed Gruver//January 8, 2024//
Listen to this articleSeeking to boost the ranks of Pennsylvania’s direct care workforce by improving job quality and increasing career advancement opportunities, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announced $2.8 million in grant funding.
L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker said creating quality jobs for the direct care workforce is an investment in quality care for Pennsylvanians, particularly older residents and individuals with disabilities who need direct care workers.
“As the population ages, the need for a high-quality direct care workforce will only increase – and that’s why the Shapiro Administration is taking steps to invest now,” Walker said in a statement.
In the first year of his administration, Gov. Josh Shapiro allocated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to boost wages for over 55,000 direct care workers and fund a new worker registry and training programs for home-based care workers.
This Direct Care Worker (DCW) grant funding is designed to emphasize the mutual benefits improved job quality has on direct care employers, their workers, and the patients they serve.
Organizations including local workforce development boards, non-profit and non-governmental entities, community-based organizations, health care organizations, and others are eligible to apply.
Applicants may request awards of up to $600,000 each with a performance period beginning July 1, 2024, to Feb. 28, 2026. The deadline to apply is Feb. 29.
