Direct care workforce grants

Full Title:
Supporting Our Direct Care Workforce and Family Caregivers Act

Summary#

This bill would create a national technical assistance center and a federal grant program to strengthen the direct care workforce and to support family caregivers. The main change is new federal grant authority to pay for training, recruitment, retention, career pathways, and supports for direct care workers and for education or resources for family caregivers. The stated policy goal is to increase and improve the workforce that helps older adults and people with disabilities stay in their homes and communities.

  • Main change: Establishes a Technical Assistance Center at HHS (through the Administrator for Community Living) and authorizes competitive grants to states, labor groups, non-profits, tribes, community colleges, employers, and consortia to run projects for direct care workers and family caregivers.
  • Grant categories: Grants for direct care workers, direct care managers, self-directed care workers, and family caregivers.
  • Project requirements: Grants must include project plans, advisory committees, training that covers rights and abuse recognition, apprenticeships or on-the-job training, supports (transportation, childcare, PPE), and data collection.
  • Spending rules: Grantees may use up to 5% of grant funds for administration and must spend at least 5% (except for family caregiver grants) on direct financial benefits or supports for workers. Grants must supplement, not replace, existing funds.
  • Reporting and evaluation: Annual reporting by grantees, annual reports to Congress, independent evaluations, and a GAO study after projects end.

What it means for you#

  • Direct care workers (home health aides, personal care aides, direct support professionals): Could see more training programs, apprenticeship opportunities, mentoring, and supports like transportation or childcare during training. Projects must assess wages and may include wage schedules for on-the-job training. The bill does not itself guarantee higher wages.
  • Managers and supervisors of direct care staff: Eligible for targeted grants for managerial training, coaching, and supervision skills.
  • Self-directed care workers (employed directly by the person receiving care): Eligible for grants and training tailored to their work model.
  • Family caregivers (paid or unpaid): Eligible for education, training, and support resources aimed at caregiver skills and self-care.
  • Community colleges and training providers: May receive grants to develop curricula, apprenticeships, and recognized credentials. Training must address rights of service recipients, cultural competence, and abuse recognition.
  • Employers, labor organizations, and non-profits: Can apply for grants to run local or regional projects and must include advisory committees and consult with state Medicaid agencies.
  • State and local governments / Medicaid agencies: Will be consulted on grant projects and may coordinate with grantees. Projects must describe local workforce needs and vacancy rates.
  • Taxpayers / general public: The bill authorizes federal spending (see Expenses). Actual spending requires future appropriations.

Expenses#

Estimated public cost: The bill authorizes specific amounts but does not itself appropriate funds.

  • Authorized for the Technical Assistance Center: $2,000,000 per year for each of fiscal years 2027–2031 (total authorized $10,000,000 over those five years).
  • Authorized for grants: $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.
  • Availability: Funds made available under the bill would remain available until September 30, 2036.
  • Grantee cost rules: Grantees may not use more than 5% of their grant for administration and (except for family caregiver grants) must use at least 5% for direct financial benefits or supportive services to participants.
  • Other costs or savings: No fiscal note or broader budget estimate is included in the bill text supplied.
  • If more detailed budget estimates or long-term costs are needed: No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

(The following statements are based on what the bill’s text and purpose suggest the legislation is intended to do.)

  • The bill appears intended to address shortages and instability in the direct care workforce by funding training, recruitment, and retention programs.
  • It could improve quality of care by promoting standardized training, apprenticeships, and supervisory skill development.
  • The creation of a national technical assistance center could help spread best practices and develop national guidance on curricula and career pathways.
  • Grants for family caregivers aim to provide training and supports that may help unpaid caregivers manage their roles and reduce caregiver strain.
  • Required data collection and independent evaluations could build evidence about what workforce interventions work.

Opponents' View#

(These are plausible concerns grounded in the bill’s design, funding rules, and reporting requirements.)

  • One concern is that the bill authorizes a single large grant appropriation in fiscal year 2027 ($1 billion) but does not authorize continuing annual grant funding; it is unclear whether similar funding would be available in later years.
  • The bill requires grantee reporting and evaluations. This could increase administrative burden on smaller organizations and on the administering agency.
  • The bill requires assessment of wages and an assurance of wage schedules for on-the-job training, but it does not mandate permanent wage increases for workers. Thus some may see the bill as insufficient to ensure long-term pay raises.
  • The law leaves many implementation details to the Secretary (such as grant sizes, selection criteria, and exact performance measures). This may make outcomes and the reach of the program uncertain.
  • It is unclear how many projects the $1 billion would fund, how funds will be divided between urban and rural needs, and how the “supplement not supplant” rule will be enforced in practice.