National Alliance for Caregiving Applauds Bipartisanship on Federal Spending Increases for Caregiving Support and Services
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) March 23, 2018 -- The National Alliance for Caregiving applauds the President and the Congressional Assisting Caregivers Today ("ACT") Caucus for new support for family caregivers in the FY 2018 Omnibus Federal Spending Package, signed into law today. Many members of the bipartisan ACT Caucus were instrumental in requesting and securing the funds. Spending includes: The Lifespan Respite Care program – increases by $700,000 for a total of $4.1 million (a 20.6% increase) and The National Family Caregiver Support Program – increases by $30 million for total of $180.6 million (a 19.9% increase).
A tireless champion for family caregivers, Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) noted, “As a family caregiver myself, I know how tough of a job caregiving is, and how critical it is that we provide resources at the federal level that allow family caregivers to continue caring for their loved ones in their homes and communities." Lujan Grisham added, “As co-chair of the Assisting Caregivers Today (ACT) Caucus, I have been working to increase funding for these vital caregiver support programs, and to create new, innovative programs like Care Corps. I am grateful to the National Alliance for Caregiving for their unwavering support, both for existing federal programs and for my Care Corps legislation. While I am pleased with this additional funding, our work remains unfinished. I am hopeful that this will be a first step toward additional funding in the coming fiscal year 2019 appropriations cycle and renewed focus on caregiving issues in Congress. Together, we will keep fighting to ensure that the more than 40 million family caregivers in the United States have the support they need.”
“We are in the midst of a caregiving crisis in our nation as our population rapidly ages. That is why I was proud to work with Congresswoman Lujan Grisham to secure increased funding for family caregiver programs in the 2018 funding bill,” said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). “Too many families are struggling to balance their caregiving responsibilities while working to make ends meet. Today, Congress took action to help provide the men and women who take care of a loved one with the support and resources they need,” she added. “But there is much more that needs to be done. I look forward to continuing to work with Congresswoman Lujan Grisham and all of the wonderful caregiver advocates to build on this momentum.”
“Family caregivers are the backbone of our long-term care system and programs supporting them have seen stagnant or reduced spending levels for nearly a decade despite the growing need for care. These increases are a positive step in addressing the strains placed on the nearly 44 million Americans who provide unpaid care,” added C. Grace Whiting, J.D., President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving.
Other caregiving programs receiving related to country’s aging population include new funding for the Aging Network Support and Aging and Disability Resource Centers and several care and support programs for people living with dementia.
Established in 1996, the National Alliance for Caregiving is a non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on advancing family caregiving through research, innovation, and advocacy. The Alliance conducts research, does policy analysis, develops national best-practice programs, and works to increase public awareness of family caregiving issues. Recognizing that family caregivers provide important societal and financial contributions toward maintaining the well-being of those they care for, the Alliance supports a network of more than 80 state and local caregiving coalitions and serves as Secretariat for the International Alliance of Carer Organizations (IACO).
C. Grace Whiting, National Alliance for Caregiving, http://www.caregiving.org, (202) 525-8985, [email protected]
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