Our vision: higher wages

A critical step to strengthening and improving America’s long term care system is raising wages for home care workers to at least $15/hour.

All home care workers should earn a minimum wage of at least $15 per hour and have the right to form a union. To create a stable, professional home care workforce, home care providers must have a voice on the job to advocate for higher quality and standards, including benefits like paid time off, and access to a career ladder that ties training to increased responsibilities and higher wages.

Home care jobs are among the fastest growing jobs in the country, but they’re also among the lowest paid, with a median annual income of just $13,000. Nearly 50 percent of home care workers live in households that receive public assistance benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps, and housing or heating assistance.

Women of color bear the brunt of low wages in home care. The home care workforce is 89 percent women, 29 percent African American, and 18 percent Latino. Raising wages would give these women a more secure financial future and the chance to get ahead, not just scrape by.