Show your support for the Care Campaign
Direct support workers spend their days providing support for individuals with developmental disabilities who live in community group home settings, helping them to reach their full potential.
The state is responsible for funding the nonprofit agencies that operate these group homes, but the rates of reimbursement are far too low to pay employees fairly.
Many direct support workers struggle to get by on wages that don’t even raise them – and their families – above the poverty line.
The Care Campaign is working to change that, however, by promoting legislation (HB 3698 in the House and SB 2604 in the Senate) that would increase state funding for community disability agencies in order to improve the wage levels of direct support workers.. Your support can help it succeed. The Care Campaign is made up of many community disability agencies, as well as advocacy groups, along with AFSCME and the SEIU.
Sign the campaign’s online petition now. After that, “like” the campaign on Facebook to stay up to date on the fight for fair wages.
Most importantly, call your legislators and let them know direct support staff deserve fair wages! You can reach your representative and senator by calling the AFSCME hotline at (888) 912-5959. Tell them to support HB 3698 and SB 2604!
Direct support workers make, on average, $9.35 an hour. Employees represented by AFSCME generally fare better than this average, but still must struggle to get by.
Meanwhile, living costs for direct support workers are going up. Many have to work excessive amounts of overtime or work a second job just to be able to support their families.
Stagnant wages have also contributed to high turnover at community disability agencies, which makes life more difficult for the disabled people they serve, who often develop attachments to the workers who help them every day.
The Care Campaign, working with allies in the General Assembly, is pushing legislation that would allow wages for direct support workers to rise to $13 an hour over the next three years
Help The Care Campaign reach this goal! Sign the online petition now and follow the campaign’s Facebook page to stay updated on the latest news!
Most importantly, call your legislators and let them know direct support staff deserve fair wages! You can reach your representative and senator by calling the AFSCME hotline at (888) 912-5959.