Committees
Workforce committee
Access to Care: Meeting the Needs of a Growing Population
Every resident of the District should have access to quality long term care — whether they’re aging at home, living in assisted living, or receiving skilled nursing care. Yet thousands of DC residents face gaps in care because there simply aren’t enough trained, supported workers to meet the need.
These shortages hit hardest among:
- Low-income residents relying on Medicaid
- People of color and immigrant communities
- Residents in under-resourced neighborhoods, especially in Wards 7 and 8
When care workers are unavailable, the results are devastating: missed visits, delayed services, or families forced to fill the gap with unpaid care. As DC’s population ages, the need for reliable, compassionate caregivers grows — and the workforce crisis deepens.
Economic Mobility: Strengthening the Workforce That Powers Care
The long term care workforce keeps our community strong, yet too many workers struggle to make ends meet. Most direct care workers face:
- Low pay
- Few or no benefits
- Limited opportunities for advancement
- Unstable or part-time schedules
Despite the skill and compassion their work requires, many direct care workers live near or below the poverty line. By investing in this workforce, DC has a chance to transform these jobs into true careers — with living wages, paid leave, benefits, and clear training pathways.
Professionalizing direct care work would not only stabilize the care system, it would lift thousands of DC women of color and immigrant families into greater economic security — building both individual and community resilience.
A Dual Opportunity: Equity in Care and Employment
Expanding and supporting DC’s long term care workforce advances equity on two fronts:
- Equity for residents who deserve consistent, high-quality care no matter their income or ZIP code.
- Equity for workers who deserve respect, fair pay, and the opportunity to grow their careers.
Investing in this workforce is both a public health priority and an economic justice strategy. The Workforce Committee is focused on both — improving access to care and creating pathways to economic mobility for the people who make that care possible.
DC’s Workforce Crisis: By the Numbers
The District’s workforce shortage is urgent and growing:
- As of mid-2024, DC had roughly 11,500 direct care workers, serving a population of 36,000 residents who need care.
- In 2023, nearly 4,000 Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) and Home Health Aides (HHAs) did not renew their credentials — roughly 30% of the workforce.
- 80% of providers report turning away clients due to staffing shortages.
Without action, these shortages will continue to restrict access to care, strain families, and limit job opportunities in one of DC’s fastest-growing sectors.
Key Issues the Committee Is Addressing
Wages & Benefits Direct care workers provide essential hands-on, skilled, and emotionally demanding care — yet many are paid near minimum wage and lack benefits like health insurance, paid leave, or retirement plans. Improving pay and job quality is essential to recruiting and retaining a stable workforce.
Training & Education Infrastructure The District has lost much of its training capacity. Without a strong, coordinated postsecondary and workforce system, many workers are trained in Maryland and never return to work in DC. Restoring and expanding local training programs is vital.
Career Pathways DC lacks clear, connected pathways that allow entry-level care workers to advance to higher-paying roles. Establishing stackable credentials — such as Certified Medication Aide programs — would help workers grow and help providers meet care needs.
System Coordination & Implementation Too often, multiple agencies work in silos. The Workforce Committee advocates for better coordination and timely implementation of policies that strengthen the long term care workforce and improve accountability across the system.
Join the Workforce Committee
The Workforce Committee meets monthly at 10:00 AM on the second Tuesday of each month — and more often when needed — to advance solutions that strengthen DC’s long term care system and the workers who sustain it.
If you’re interested in joining the conversation or contributing your expertise, we’d love to have you.
Contact:
- Kristin Ewing Chair, Workforce Committee – kewing@dcappleseed.org
- Neil Richardson, Coordinator, DC Coalition on Long Term Care – ltccoalition@homecarepartners.org