There’s a push among some statewide officials to get more funding to direct care workers.
Acting Secretary of Human Services Meg Snead says her department is using funding from the American Rescue Plan to help the overall direct care industry.
“DHS is using this funding to provide vital support to help with increasing access to home and community-based services, staffing recruitment and retention, help for family caregivers and more,” Snead said.
Snead says around 220,000 people work in direct care in Pennsylvania, but wages are stagnant. Right now, the average pay for a worker is around $11 per hour.