Happy Direct Care Worker Appreciation Week, April 2nd - 8th!

Legislative Tribute: Tuesday, April 4th @ 9:00am

Gov. Polis recognizes direct care workers, legislative tribute set for April 4 
(DENVER, CO.) - In recognition of Colorado’s 60,000 direct care workers, Gov. Jared Polis declared April 2 to April 8, 2023 as direct care worker appreciation week. Direct care workers provide care and assistance with activities of daily living to more than 70,000 people who receive long-term services and supports in their homes, host homes, group homes, assisted living residences, and nursing homes. 

On April 4 at 9 a.m. Rep. Mary Young and Sen. Joann Ginal will pay tribute in the House and Senate chambers to the state’s direct care workforce, recognizing their contributions to Colorado’s health care system and celebrating their valuable work. 

These dedicated direct care workers have been responsible for providing physical, emotional, and behavioral health services during the extraordinarily challenging COVID-19 pandemic and Colorado’s most vulnerable citizens have greatly benefited over the years from the personal commitments that have been made by these exceptional direct care workers. 

In 2022, the State of Colorado made the single largest investment in direct care workers by establishing a base wage of $15 an hour for those taking care of individuals on Medicaid. However, despite this increase, 37 percent of direct care workers in Colorado are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level ($55,000 annually for a family of four). According to PHI, most of Colorado’s direct care workers are women and 44 percent identify as non-white. 

Public Awareness Campaign Survey

To capitalize on the momentum of DCW Appreciation Week and ensure we celebrate Direct Care Workers throughout the year, your feedback is requested on a survey that will help inform the Public Awareness Campaign to take place later this summer! See the link below, and feel free to share it with anyone you think might be interested! 

Help us spread awareness about the Direct Care Workforce in Colorado! Take our survey to share your thoughts and experiences, which will inform an upcoming public awareness campaign for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF). The survey will close at 11:59pm MT on Monday, April 17th. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DCWPublicAwarenessCampaign