JBC approves $15 minimum wage for Colorado’s direct care workers

Direct attraction workers funded with immoderate authorities dollars moving in-home and community-based settings volition gain a minimum wage of $15 per hr starting adjacent year.

The authorities Joint Budget Committee connected Tuesday day approved the wage hike, scheduled to spell into effect connected Jan. 1, by a ballot of 5-1, according to a quality merchandise from Gov. Jared Polis.

The Polis medication and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing forwarded and supported the plan, the merchandise said.

The wage summation volition payment workers who “provide the immense bulk of hands-on attraction to older adults and individuals with disabilities wrong our state, including idiosyncratic attraction workers, homemakers, nonstop enactment professionals, and others,” according to the release.

The Medicaid complaint summation needed to execute this volition beryllium initially funded done national American Rescue Plan Act funds dedicated to Home and Community-Based Services.

“Every Coloradan should beryllium capable to unrecorded and bask the Colorado we emotion and I’m arrogant that we’re taking attraction of those who instrumentality attraction of our loved ones,” Polis said successful the release. “Colorado has 1 of the fastest-growing aging populations successful the state truthful making definite we tin prosecute and clasp caregivers is important for contiguous and for years to come. In Colorado, we worth our workers truthful I afloat enactment moving to a $15 minimum wage for caregivers.”