As reported by AMNY, caregivers who work with people living with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) are not getting paid enough and there are fears that many will exit the industry. Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright held a press conference Thursday with caregivers to bring attention to the wage issue, sounding the alarm that workers who care for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) are likely to leave the industry and find better paying jobs elsewhere.
While Marco Damiani, CEO of AHRC New York City says that Gov. Kathy Hochul has included a 2.5% Cost-Of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) as part of the 2024 Executive Budget, he argues that the amount is meager and will have very little impact on workers struggling to make ends meet.
Lack of funding, budget cuts, and wage stagnation have added to the struggles of parents of people with I/DD who fear for the futures of their loved ones. “My son, Daniel, is funny, charming and very medically involved,” said Meri Krasner, a parent who spoke at the press conference. “Three years ago, he was offered a place by AHRC in a residence here in Manhattan. A miracle in many ways. But my worries have come back because of the turnover and staff. I am afraid for him and beginning to start thinking again…that [it] would be better if Daniel predeceases us because New York State doesn’t seem to recognize how lucky we are that the staff choose to do this demanding job.”
Disability Workforce
Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright, chair of the committee on people with disabilities, called to increase pay for direct support providers, who support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, at a press conference Thursday. Seawright urged lawmakers to increase cost-of-living adjustments from 2.5%—which was included in the governor’s proposed fiscal year 2024 budget—to 8.5%. Additionally, she called to establish a Direct Support Wage Enhancement of $4,000 for upstate workers, and $6,000 for downstate workers.
