New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wants to give direct care workers across the care continuum a $211.2 million pay hike for the 2023 budget year that begins July 1.
The proposal includes significant investments in workers who care for the elderly, including $34 million to support personal care assistants in NJ Family Care, $157,000 for home health aides working in New Jersey’s Community Caregiving program, $270,000 for aides working in the state’s Personal Assistance Services Program, and $30 million for nursing home staff.
“This workforce is the backbone of our state’s care economy and we’re grateful for their commitment to supporting individuals and families each and every day,” Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman said in a statement.
With less than eight weeks to go before the end of the current budget year, the governor and the state legislature are wrangling over the budget and how to spend the remaining $3 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Last month, New York’s governor and legislature agreed on a $220 billion budget that includes $1.2 billion in bonuses for frontline healthcare workers and a $3 hourly wage bump for home health aides.
