On January 20th, close to 150 individuals provided members of the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services with real life stories and expert testimony supporting the passage of LD 1932 “Maine Essential Care and Support Workforce Enhancement Act.” Even more showed up to the press conference prior to the hearing and filled the committee chamber and the overflow room.
Testifiers at the public hearing included legislators, direct care workers, family members and recipients of care, and employers of direct care workers. Together, they were able to explain why the current system needs reform and why LD 1932 is a well-designed collection of improvements that make sense to implement now.
The bill’s main sponsor and champion, Speaker of the Maine House, Ryan Fecteau, said in his testimony,
“We have families desperate for help and agencies desperate for staff, yet we continue to lose essential workers due to the unlivable wages,” he said. “Passing this bill and investing in our direct care workers will not only help those currently in the industry, but will encourage more people to consider these important careers.”
Several direct care workers shared their direct experiences underscoring the need for livable wages and the incredible commitment of these workers to those they serve:
- From Mary Jo Abbott’s testimony, a direct care worker with 45 years’ experience: “Every day, I see people dropping out of the workforce because they can get an easier job that pays better wages,” she said. “You have to be a special kind of person to be a caregiver, and I would like to see people rewarded for that.”
- Stephanie Hatcher, a direct care worker, titled her testimony “32 Years in Caregiving– But Still Fighting to Make Ends Meet.” Ms. Hatcher started her career in 1993 “inspired by my mother, who worked in direct care since I was a toddler.” She shared that her passion for this work has never faded and now she is a trainer of “new and seasoned [direct care workers] – people who dedicate themselves to one of the most essential, demanding, and deeply rewarding roles in our state. But every day, I see those same workers struggle to survive on wages that don’t reflect the dedication, skill, or compassion this work requires.” She urged passage of LD 1932 because, “Direct care work is essential work. Let’s start treating it that way.”
- From Justin Dyer, a direct care worker with years of experience and several credentials: “I currently work on an average of 60 hours a week. That barely makes ends meet.” He explained the strain that puts on him and his family and how it has led him and his colleagues to question whether or not they can stay in the profession – “Not because we want to, but because we have no choice.” Mr. Dyer said, “I saw firsthand what it meant to see how one person makes a difference. I chose to be the one person in someone else’s life. … this bill would be a start to helping others to make the same choice as I did. If the pay is not a stable wage, others will be forced to leave the field. Then who will be there to help our loved ones or even ourselves if there is nobody left to complete the work.”
- From Gabriel Lunganga, a Direct Support Professional: ‘I am proud of the work I do and the people I support. Being a DSP is not just a job to me, it is about showing up for others, building trust, and helping people live the best lives they can in their communities.” He then described being detained by ICE for three weeks even though he “had done nothing wrong,” and shared, “Those weeks felt very long. I was scared, uncertain, and worried about my future. But even while I was detained, my biggest concern was not just for myself, it was for the people I support. I kept thinking about my clients, their routines, and how the disruption might affect them. That is how deeply this work stays with you when you are a DSP.” Mr. Lunganga also commended his employer for sticking with him and supporting him through the entire ordeal to ensure he would not lose his housing or his job.
Employers of these workers and others testified how the failure of the MaineCare rate setting system has forced them to make difficult choices and hampers their ability to fill all the vacant positions. Additionally, they pointed out how our aging population together with the workforce instability is creating disturbing and negative situations around the state.
- From Betsy Sawyer-Manter, CEO at SeniorsPlus: “This workforce is particularly important to an aging demographic. We all know that Maine is the oldest state in the nation by median age and is not getting younger. By 2034, our nation will have more people over the age of sixty-five than under eighteen. Maine is the canary in the coal mine. We can lead the nation by showing our support for this workforce by creating opportunities for transferable credentialing and offering livable wages and benefits that recognize this important work that happens in homes across the state, day in and out.”
- From Bonnie Jean Brooks, Executive Director of the Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board (MDSOB): “One man with complex needs told us that when he goes to bed at night, he has no idea who will be at his home in the morning to help him get out of bed and perform his A.D.L’S [Activities of Daily Living].” Ms. Brooks’ example of how instability in the workforce leads to untenable living situations for Mainers underscores why we cannot wait to act.
- From Tricia Flanders, Chief Human Resources Officer of 3Rivers: “Today, community-based providers like 3Rivers are operating in a workforce crisis. Nationally, turnover rates for direct care staff remain at approximately 40–50%, and vacancy rates continue to rise…. These realities are reflected locally at 3Rivers, where recruitment and retention challenges have resulted in significant overtime costs and have required many committed employees to work multiple jobs to meet their financial needs while ensuring services remain staffed… Despite these challenges, 3Rivers operates with a lean administrative structure—only 18.9% of our workforce is administrative staff supporting essential functions such as billing, finance, quality, and human resources. This intentionally low percentage reflects our commitment to directing the vast majority of resources toward frontline, direct care staff rather than behind-the-scenes roles. Even with this focus, without meaningful wage investment, workforce instability will persist.”
The director of the state’s Office of MaineCare Services, Michelle Probert, was the only person who testified against the bill and they have submitted their own bill, LD 2177 “An Act to Update and Improve the MaineCare Reimbursement System.” The Public Hearing for the bill has been scheduled for Feb. 11 at 10:00 in the HHS Committee. This bill makes changes to the MaineCare reimbursement system that roll back progress we have all made on rate reform. Many members of the partnership will testify against this bill.