Wisconsin is part of a nationwide effort to boost working conditions for home care workers under a cooperative model--and provide better and more consistent care for seniors and others. Anne Reynolds of UW Center for Cooperatives and Tracy Dudzinski of Cooperative Care join the show.
On Valentine’s Day, 1199 SEIU labor union and NY Caring Majority organized a rally in Albany telling New York State lawmakers “Have A Heart for Home Care.” Over 250 Home Care Workers, from NYC, came together for the event. Home care workers marched to the NYS Capitol building and formed a beautiful image of a heart for the NYS Legislators to witness. The rally was to call attention the Fair Pay for Home Care bill that home care stakeholders want to see included in this year’s State budget.
But the nation will need about 740,000 additional home care workers over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and recruiting them won’t be easy.
The Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) recently funded the development of reports about two home care worker-cooperatives [see below]. The case studies provide information on the genesis, start-up phase, financing and opportunities of home care worker cooperatives in Bellingham, WA and the Hilo,Hawaii. Produced by the Northwest Cooperative Development Center (NWCDC), these case studies add to the limited body of knowledge around home
It started with a simple phone call in 2021. A new Nebraska resident contacted the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center (NCDC), with a question about home care cooperative job opportunities in Nebraska.
At the time, NCDC was not aware of any home care cooperatives in the state. As an organization dedicated to empowering people with resources to start cooperatives in their communities, NCDC started making calls.
Registration is open for the 9th annual National Home Care Cooperative Conference, scheduled for March 11-14, 2025 in Dulles, Virginia.
Home care worker cooperative members and developers from across the country will gather virtually from February 22-26, 2021 for the 5th Annual National Home Care Cooperative Conference. A Pre-Conference focused on the core skills of cooperative finance and governance will be offered on February 22. The conference will run from noon to 2:30 pm EST each day.
Home care worker cooperative members and developers from across the country will gather September 12 – 14, 2016 in Dulles, Virginia for the inaugural Home Care Cooperative Conference.
Home care cooperatives in urban areas can now apply for grants to support training and technical assistance thanks to support from the CDF Development Fund. The grant program is intended to provide support to cooperatives ineligible for help through CDF's USDA Rural Cooperative Development and Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grants. The development and growth of worker-owned home care cooperatives is the focus of the CDF supported National Home Care Cooperative Initiative.
Home care cooperatives offer a transformative model for health caregivers— by providing better wages, benefits, and workplace dignity through worker ownership. This webinar explores how home care co-ops are creating sustainable jobs, improving care quality, and addressing the systemic inequities in the caregiving industry. Learn from frontline workers and co-op developers about starting, sustaining, and scaling this vital sector of community care.
