[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 123 (Wednesday, July 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S4902]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Casey, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Duckworth, 
        Mr. Reed, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Ms. Rosen):
  S. 2344. A bill to award grants for the creation, recruitment, 
training and education, retention, and advancement of the direct care 
workforce and to award grants to support family caregivers; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President. With a growing number of older adults and 
people with disabilities in the U.S., our Nation is becoming 
increasingly reliant on the direct care workforce and family caregivers 
who support older adults and people with disabilities. Unfortunately, 
the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this need.
  The direct care workforce, such as direct support workers, home care 
workers, personal care workers or other paid workers who support older 
adults and people with disabilities in their homes and communities, has 
long experienced staffing shortages in part because of low wages and 
high turnover. Currently, 4.5 million workers--including nearly 2.3 
million home care workers--make up the direct care workforce, and this 
industry is expected to grow by more than a million jobs by 2028, not 
including the jobs that will need to be filled as existing workers 
leave the field or exit the labor force. The shortage of direct care 
workers often puts pressure on family caregivers. The number of 
American caregivers providing unpaid caregiving has increased over the 
past 5 years, and 23 percent of caregivers say that caregiving has made 
their health worse.
  Today, I am pleased to introduce the Supporting Our Direct Care 
Workforce and Family Caregivers Act along with my colleagues Senators 
Bob Casey, Maggie Hassan, Tammy Duckworth, Jack Reed, Ron Wyden, 
Kirsten Gillibrand, and Jacky Rosen. Our legislation would direct the 
Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration on 
Community Living (ACL), to award grants to states or other eligible 
entities for initiatives to build, retain, train and educate, and 
promote the direct care workforce, including self-directed workers and 
direct care supervisors or managers, and to provide education and 
training support for family caregivers to help ease stresses associated 
with caregiving. Grants could be used for preapprenticeship and on-the-
job training opportunities, apprenticeship programs, career ladders or 
pathways, specializations or certification or other activities to 
recruit and retain direct care professionals in the field. 
Additionally, the bill creates a technical assistance center at ACL to 
bolster coordination across Federal agencies, provide consultation to 
States, and make policy recommendations to support the direct care 
workforce and family caregivers.
  The bill aligns with President Biden's American Jobs Plan, which 
calls for substantial investments to meet the demand for home and 
community-based services and invests in our country's care 
infrastructure. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to see 
the Supporting Our Direct Care Workforce and Family Caregivers Act as 
an opportunity to invest in the direct care workforce and family 
caregivers--both critical pieces of the care team who provide support 
for millions of Americans every day, ensuring they can live their lives 
independently and with dignity.
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