• Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and U.S. Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) reintroduced the Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2009, intended to promote fair wages for American workers who support people with disabilities. The act would provide a voluntary option for states to receive more Medicaid funding to reimburse community-based organizations, allowing them to raise the wages of direct support professionals. “Many [people who care for the disabled] cannot afford to do the work that they love and are often forced to leave the profession, resulting in a crisis of care for the disabled who depend on their services,” Capps said in a release to the media. “Our legislation takes several important steps to address the crisis of care by providing the tools necessary to recruit and retain this committed workforce. … By raising awareness of the need for these workers and ensuring that they are paid a fair wage for the important work that they do, we can help alleviate this crisis and help the disabled and their families.” According to the release, California’s private community care providers report that the average starting wage for direct support professionals is $8.82 per hour, while employees in state-operated programs performing the same work start at $15.65 per hour. Reports also found that a direct support professional working full time is often eligible for many of the same federal or state benefits as the individuals they are working to support.
This article appears in Feb 12-19, 2009.