Virginia's care crisis has left too many older adults and people with disabilities struggling to find the care they need, while home care workers continue to provide essential services for wages that have made it difficult to recruit and retain the workforce our communities depend on.
The state budget’s inclusion of a 4% increase on January 1, 2027 and 3.9% increase January 1, 2028 for home care reimbursement rates is a meaningful step in the right direction. We thank Governor Spanberger and the General Assembly for investing in home care workers and recognizing their critical role in helping Virginians live safely and with dignity in their homes.
But there is still more work to do.
Today, most consumer-directed home care workers in Virginia earn just $13.88 an hour. Despite providing essential care that allows thousands of Virginians to live independently, home care workers continue to earn poverty wages, lack basic benefits, and remain excluded from fundamental workplace rights, including the freedom to bargain collectively.
Virginia continues to face a growing care crisis. By 2032, the Commonwealth will need an estimated 124,500 additional home care workers to meet the needs of our aging population and people with disabilities.1 Â Building and retaining that workforce will require continued investments in wages, benefits, and worker protections.
We look forward to continuing to work alongside elected leaders, community partners, and allies to strengthen Virginia's home care system, build the workforce our communities need, and ensure every caregiver is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
