<span class="field field–name-title field–type-string field–label-hidden">Advocates Push for Wage Increases for Home Care Workers in Illinois</span>
<span class="field field–name-uid field–type-entity-reference field–label-hidden"><span>Eunice Alpasan</span></span>
<span class="field field–name-created field–type-created field–label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-04-16T17:48:00-05:00" title="Thursday, April 16, 2026 – 17:48" class="datetime">Thu, 04/16/2026 – 17:48</time>
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<div class="clearfix text-formatted field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden field__item"><p>Advocates say low wages are driving workforce shortages of home care workers in Illinois and are pushing for a proposed bill that would raise wages for workers.</p>
<p>Home care workers with SEIU Healthcare Illinois and state legislators gathered Thursday in front of the Illinois Capitol Building in Springfield to rally in support of a bill that would raise wages for home care workers serving seniors through the state’s Community Care Program.</p>
<p>During the rally, home care workers spoke about their experiences as caregivers. For Jimeka Tia McKandes of Peoria, it’s more than a job — it’s her life, she said.</p>
<p>“At the end of the day, who’s gonna be there?” McKandes said. “There’s gonna be times when their family is not there. We become their family.”</p>
<p>The <a href="https://ift.tt/Y9aVj0t" target="_blank">proposed bill</a> would increase rates for in-home services provided through the state program in order to increase hourly wages for home care workers by $2, making it $20.75 per hour, according to advocates.</p>
<p>The Illinois Department on Aging’s Community Care Program, which was established in 1979, aims to help older adults maintain their independence by providing in-home services as an alternative to nursing home placement. </p>
<p>State Sen. Celina Villanueva, a Democrat who represents parts of Chicago’s South and West sides, is a sponsor of the bill. Villanueva said during the rally that her family had home care workers when her grandmother was sick.</p>
<p>“You do the most humblest of humble of work to make sure that people, that seniors, that people with disabilities are able to live their lives on their own terms,” Villanueva said. “And that’s not something that you can put a dollar amount to, but we’re sure as hell gonna fight for $20.75.”</p>
<p>Advocates are also calling on the state to close corporate tax loopholes and make the “ultra-wealthy” pay more in taxes, according to a news release.</p>
<p>Illinois HomeCare & Hospice Council Executive Director Sara Ratcliffe said in a statement the council supports ensuring caregivers earn a living wage.</p>
<p>“The Community Care Program is an essential, cost-effective part of the care continuum and deserves sustained funding,” Ratcliffe said. "These caregivers keep older Illinois residents safe at home where they want to be while preserving their dignity. That is worth funding.”</p>
<p><em>Contact Eunice Alpasan: <a href="mailto:ealpasan@wttw.com">ealpasan@wttw.com</a></em></p>
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April 16, 2026 at 06:29PM
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