Congress Reintroduces Bill Creating Grants to Strengthen Direct Care Workforce

ANCOR is pleased to share that Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) has reintroduced the Direct CARE Opportunity Act, which creates grants to invest in the direct care workforce, specifically to include workers who deliver disability supports. The bill’s co-sponsors are Representatives Susan Wild (D-PA) and Sylvia Lee (D-NV).

Specifically, the Direct CARE Opportunity Act:

• Invests in strategies to recruit, retain and advance the direct care workforce pipeline.
• Implements models and strategies to make the field of direct care more attractive, including training, career pathways, and mentoring, which will allow for local and regional innovation to address workforce shortages and needs.
• Encourages retention and career advancement in the growing field of direct care.
• Responds to the needs of a growing aging population and allows older Americans, people with disabilities, and others who require direct care services to remain in their communities, when possible.
• Supports the health and well-being of those who need and rely on direct care services, helping to prevent costlier institutional care.

For a fact sheet on the Direct CARE Opportunity Act, click here.

For the bill text of the Direct CARE Opportunity Act, click here.

ANCOR supported the bill in the 116^th Congress and will continue to do so in the 117^th Congress.