[NFBNJ] Governor’s Budget Includes $192 Million in Wage Increases for Frontline Workers Who Care for Individuals with Disabilities, Older Residents & Children

Wed Sep 2 16:50:56 UTC 2020

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From: Tom Hester
Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2020 12:17 PM
Subject: Governorï¿½s Budget Includes $192 Million in Wage Increases for 
Frontline Workers Who Care for Individuals with Disabilities, Older 
Residents & Children

Plan Boosts Pay for Certified Nurse Aides, Direct Support Professionals, 
Personal Care Assistants and Child Care Workers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Governorï¿½s Budget Includes $192 Million in Wage Increases for Frontline 
Workers Who Care for Individuals with Disabilities, Older Residents & 
Children

Plan Boosts Pay for Certified Nurse Aides, Direct Support Professionals, 
Personal Care Assistants and Child Care Workers

Sept. 2, 2020

(TRENTON) ï¿½  Demonstrating continued support for the frontline workers who 
are vital to the health and safety of so many New Jerseyans, especially 
during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Murphyï¿½s budget proposal includes 
wage increases for workers who provide critical care for individuals with 
disabilities, older residents and children.

The budget plan for the fiscal year that starts October 1 includes $192 
million for wage increases for direct support professionals, certified 
nursing aides, personal care assistants and child care workers.

ï¿½During this unprecedented health and economic crisis brought on by 
COVID-19, Governor Murphyï¿½s budget recognizes the critical work happening on 
the frontlines in New Jerseyï¿½s group homes for individuals with intellectual 
and developmental disabilities, nursing homes, homes of older homebound 
residents and child care centers across the State,ï¿½ Human Services 
Commissioner Carole Johnson said. ï¿½The resilient and committed workforce 
showing up every day to care for our seniors, children and individuals with 
disabilities deserve to be valued and supported - and that is what these 
budget investments aim to do.ï¿½

The Governorï¿½s proposed budget includes:

ï¿½         $65.7 million to support direct support professionals and others 
who care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 
group homes.

Funding includes $31.4 million in state resources and $34.3 million in 
federal matching.  Of this amount, $24 million will support an emergency 
wage increase from October to December of this year for direct support 
professionals (DSPs).  The additional $41.7 million in new funding will help 
ensure that DSPs are paid above the stateï¿½s increasing minimum wage and 
raise the wages of group home managers as the minimum wage increases in 
January.

ï¿½         $42 million for personal care assistants who care for older 
residents who live in their own homes.

Funding includes $19.7 million in state resources and $22.3 million in 
federal matching dollars. Of this amount, $10.5 million will support an 
emergency wage increase from October to December of this year to support 
personal care assistants (PCA) who provide critical in-home supports for 
older residents who need assistance with bathing, eating, and other 
activities.   The proposed budget also increases Medicaid funding by $31.5 
million to raise the base PCA rate to $19 per hour.

ï¿½         $78 million to increase frontline certified nurse aide wages in 
nursing facilities.

Funding includes $37.4 million in state resources and $40.6 million in 
federal matching.  These new resources will support an estimated 20 percent 
Medicaid hourly wage increase for CNAs during the nine-month budget period, 
depending on a facility's current wage rates.   The budget implements the 
Medicaid funding plan for nursing facilities announced by the Governor on 
August 10 and passed by the Legislature.

ï¿½         $6.4 million to support the child care workforce.

In addition to the new $250 million child care initiative the Governor 
announced last week to support New Jersey families and the sustainability of 
child care providers as schools work to reopen, the proposed budget includes 
funding to support child care workersï¿½ wages as the minimum wage is 
anticipated to increase in January.

ï¿½The workers who dedicate themselves to caring for individuals with 
disabilities and older residents play a vital role in helping some of our 
most vulnerable residents improve their quality of life and live as 
independently as possible,ï¿½ Human Services Deputy Commissioner Sarah Adelman 
said. ï¿½We value their work, even more so during these challenging times. 
They have improved the lives of so many New Jerseyans.ï¿½

ï¿½Quality, affordable child care is a must for working families,ï¿½ Human 
Services Deputy Commissioner Elisa Neira said. ï¿½Part of that means 
maintaining a strong and vibrant workforce, and we are so grateful for the 
commitment of our child care workers, especially as they have supported 
families throughout the pandemic.ï¿½

Follow the Department of Human Services at:

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