During National Family Caregivers Month, the Administration for Community Living Features ANCOR’s Workforce Advocacy

On Tuesday, November 18, 2025 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) brought together federal leaders, caregivers, and stakeholders supporting caregivers and the direct support workforce for “The Power of Caregivers for a Healthy America: Building a Better Future Together,” an event honoring the tens of millions of family caregivers and millions of direct care workers who make independent living possible across the country.

The program featured remarks from Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Veterans Affairs Douglas Collins, Acting ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging Mary Lazare, Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Representative Mike Bost (R-IL). Attendees also heard personal reflections from caregivers, updates on the work of ACL’s caregiving advisory councils, and an announcement of a new ACL prize challenge focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be further noticed in the coming months.

ACL featured ANCOR’s newly released report, The State of America’s Direct Support Workforce Crisis 2025, at the event and invited ANCOR CEO Barbara Merrill to provide remarks about the importance of DSPs as part of the nation’s caregiving infrastructure and the importance of investing in community-based services. “This year’s survey paints a bleak picture, finding that 88% of providers reported experiencing moderate to severe staffing shortages in the past year. Moreover, 62% of providers reported that they had turned away new referrals…Even though these statistics are chilling, there are reasons to remain hopeful for a better future. One reason I remain optimistic is because I’ve seen first-hand how, time and time again, community providers rise to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges,” Barbara said in her remarks about the results and recommendations from the research.

Further highlighting the challenge providers face when grappling with the desire to offer competitive wages while receiving insufficient Medicaid reimbursement rates, Nicholas Smith, a direct support professional (DSP) from ANCOR member SPIN in Pennsylvania, shared via video message that “DSPs support every part of an individual’s physical, emotional and life needs…I love my job and the people I support, but the career doesn’t pay a livable wage.”

We were excited to share the stage with so many leaders in caregiving and direct care workforce advocacy at this gathering aimed at showcasing the ongoing need for investment in caregiver supports and the DSP workforce, as well as the opportunity to continue building our relationship with HHS and ACL leadership. To watch the recording of the event when it’s posted, visit HHS’s YouTube channel.

Ashley Smith is Director of Advocacy & Public Affairs at ANCOR.